


No Matter What Happens...

by jaybird6232



Series: I Can Be Good [3]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Anal Sex, Angst, Barista!Steve, Bucky Barnes's Metal Arm, Businessman!Bucky, Daddy Kink, F/M, Feels, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Maisie the Husky, Misunderstandings, More along the lines of a vow renewal, Non-Serum Steve Rogers/Winter Soldier Bucky Barnes | Shrinkyclinks, Pre-Serum Steve Rogers, Smut, Weddings, a bunch of misunderstandings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-20
Updated: 2017-09-13
Packaged: 2018-10-21 07:22:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 20,770
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10680468
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jaybird6232/pseuds/jaybird6232
Summary: “I’ve been… Well, I’ve been thinking…” Gosh, he can’t remember the last time he was this nervous. He’s tripping over his words, chopping up his sentences in more way than he can count. With a sigh, he shoots everything out in one word.“I’mgonnaaskStevetomarryme.”Joseph doesn’t look surprised, he notices after a few tense seconds. In fact, Steve’s dad just crosses his arms and smirks in Bucky’s direction. His mouth opens and closes like a fish, unsure of what to do next.“So,” Joseph is smiling like the Devil himself, like he knows something that Bucky doesn’t. “You want to ask my son to to marry you, huh? Are you telling me this because you, what, you want my permission?”It takes a few seconds for Bucky to respond. “I… I… no? Yes? I don’t know sir. All I know is that I want to marry Steve, sir. He’s all I want in life—”“Because if you want my blessing,” Joseph interrupts. “You’ve already got it.”





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, my lovely and absolutely wonderful readers!
> 
> I'm back from my writer's block and have come to present the third installment of this series! If you have not yet read the first two part to this series, I HIGHLY HIGHLY suggest it, because none of this is going to make sense unless you do.
> 
> This is going to be chaptered, so nobody kill me. And full of angst too :P
> 
> Steve's beautiful parents, Sarah and Joseph Rogers, are getting their vows renewed in this story (just throwing that in incase anyone gets confused). :)
> 
> Well, I'll let you all get to reading this. I hope you enjoy it, lovelies!

Bucky wakes up slowly, squinting his eyes as the sun begins to gradually seep through the curtains, signaling that the day is just beginning. The soft golden light travels slowly against the floor of his bedroom, illuminating the dark corners and crevices, completely destroying the horrors that lurk in the dark. 

Blinking steadily, he tries to move his body slightly when he hears a displeasured whimper, and he can’t help but smile. As to not wake up his baby, Bucky carefully shifts so he’s holding Steve’s little body more comfortably. He presses small featherlight kisses on the back of his boyfriend’s neck, soft and gentle and delicate, just as they should be. Because Steve deserves only the best.

“Wha— Buck…?” Steve mumbles sleepily, shuffling backwards, tighter and closer into Bucky’s embrace. Bucky quickly hushes him; it’s far too early for his baby boy to be awake. After a few tense moments, Steve falls back asleep as Bucky whispers words of love and tenderness into his ear. 

His metal hand ventures across Steve’s pale and smooth stomach from underneath the sheets, his thumb brushing softly over Steve’s bellybutton, and he couldn’t be happier. Last night… well, last night was pretty fucking amazing if you’d ask Bucky, since he basically fucked Steve six ways to Sunday (even though it’s _Saturday_ ).

Listening to those soft, breathy moans that Steve chokes out when he’s fucking him nice and slow are music to his ears; those soft whimpers cascading into his heart like a waterfall of honey, sweet and soft and delicate. They’re _perfect_ , just like his baby boy. Just like Steve.

It’s been almost two months since Steve first called Bucky _“daddy”,_ but every time he hears it, it’s like hearing it for the first time all over again. Hearing his baby boy call him _daddy_ is unbelievably the most arousing thing that Bucky’s ever known. Steve is allowing Bucky to dominate him; trusting him to do whatever he wants, because he knows that Bucky would never hurt him.

And he wouldn’t. Bucky wouldn’t dare on his life, ever; he’d rather die and burn in _hell_ than ever hurt Steve. His best friend, his boyfriend, his lover, his baby boy, his _…_ everything. For Bucky, Steve is _everything_. A necessary part of his life that he can’t live without, even for a second. He honestly isn’t surprised that needing Steve is more important than needing air.

Hurting Steve is worse than watching the world fall apart before his eyes because Steve _is_ his world; he’s been stuck with the little blond ball of sarcasm and joy since before he could walk, and now… well now, he wants to stay with Steve forever.

While listening to the soft puffs of air that Steve is letting out beside him, he realizes that staying with Steve for the rest of his life sounds like the most amazing plan ever concocted. He doesn’t know what the future holds, or where they’ll be in ten years, but one thing’s for sure, he’s going to put a ring on his baby boy’s finger. Heck, he’s already been to a jeweler and has looked through the cases, searching for _the_ ring. The perfect ring for Steve. Bucky’s also been thinking about creating a design for Steve himself, something so unique and special, just for Steve. Because Steve only deserves the best.

Bucky wants everything. He wants to have everything with Steve. A wedding, an actual house ( _not that their apartment is bad, don’t get him wrong, but he wants to be able to fuck Steve without having to worry about the neighbors hearing_ ), hopefully a kid or two, and possibly even a dog. It all sounds so perfect, so wonderful, so amazing. His future with Steve is the light at the end of his tunnel, and now all he has to do is buy a fucking _ring_ and actually _propose_ , or else none of this is going to happen.

As he slowly begins to drift back to sleep, small fantasies of their wedding and their future together pop up into his mind, and it sends a small pleasured tingle down his spine. He can’t wait to put a ring on Steve’s finger. 

He wants to do it so bad.

___________________________________________________________

 

Steve wakes up with Bucky’s arm wrapped around his waist; hot puffs of air hitting the back of his neck and sending a tingle down his spine. He slowly opens his eyes, moving his head as best he can while taking in the view of the bedroom, and he can’t help but laugh quietly.

It’s a _mess_.

Clothes are everywhere; strewn across the dresser, hanging loosely out of the closet, lying haphazardly on the ground. They did the laundry yesterday, but never managed to put it away. They got a little… umm… _distracted_ … and paid no mind to where they threw the clothes, as long as they were able to use the bed. Basically, it looks like a tornado swallowed their closet and threw it up all over the floor then left.

With a chuckle Steve slips out of bed silently and presses a kiss to Bucky’s forehead, before he pulls on a clean pair of boxers and a random shirt, which just so happens to be his boyfriend’s shirt, and sets to work on organizing the chaos.

He’s humming a nondescript tune, occasionally mumbling out the words when he remembers them. It takes him less than five minutes to have everything folded and put away. When he’s folding up the last shirt by the dresser, a warm body comes up behind him, wrapping him up in safe arms.

“Hmm, mornin’ Buck.” Steve mumbles, opening a drawer and slipping the shirt inside as Bucky’s lips trail over his shoulder. The brunet’s flesh arm untangles itself from around Steve’s waist and travels up to Steve’s shoulder, his fingers pulling back the fabric of the cotton shirt to reveal more skin, which Bucky gladly sinks his teeth into. He kisses and nips a line across the expanse of smooth skin, uttering a small _“Mornin’ baby”_ , before he continues on his path.

Steve turns around in his arms and looks up at his boyfriend. He wraps his skinny arms around the Bucky’s neck and smiles, before pulling him down for a soft kiss. Bucky hums against his lips, metal arm holding Steve’s waist a little tighter and pulling the blond closer to his body. Steve whines when Bucky pulls away with a small bite against his bottom lip, but he’s quickly appeased when he’s suddenly being lifted off the ground and into his arms.

“Well well well,” Bucky hums, pressing Steve against the wall with a feral grin. He tucks his face into Steve’s neck, sucking small little love marks while Steve moans and runs his fingers through Bucky’s long and soft hair. “I think I know the perfect way to wake up, baby.”

Steve plays coy. “Really, what’s that?”

Bucky immediately catches on, too. “Hmm, well… usually, whenever my boyfriend can’t wake up, I wake him up _my own way_.”

“Huh, seems interestin’…” Steve replies, hooking his ankles. “Think your boyfriend will mind if I steal ya for a bit?”

“I don’t think he would mind at all.” Bucky smiles and leans forward, pushing Steve tighter against the wall and pressing his lips upon his. Steve reciprocates and opens his mouth, freely exploring and not backing down.

Steve runs a hand through Bucky’s hair again, tugging it lightly and making Bucky growl heatedly. Unconsciously, Steve grinds down slowly against Bucky’s hips, making the brunet moan and press his hips to Steve’s, pushing him even tighter against the wall and closer to Bucky’s body.

Just when things start to get interesting, the phone rings.

“B-Buck,” Steve pulls off to speak, which makes Bucky latch onto his throat again. “T-the phone.”

“If you ignore it then it’ll go away,” Bucky answers against Steve’s neck and jaw, and all of Steve’s resolve begins to fall away. He reaches down and reconnects his lips to Bucky’s, making the brunet sigh happily as he moves the blond from the wall to the bed. Bucky’s large form towers over Steve’s, making Steve feel small and vulnerable, but also so damn turned on.

Then as Bucky’s hands are reaching for the waistband of Steve’s sweatpants, the answering machine goes off in the kitchen.

**_“Good morning, honey!”_ **

Steve and Bucky both shoot upwards into sitting positions immediately. 

“Sarah?!” Bucky yells at the same time Steve exclaims, “Mom?!”

**_“I sent you a text this morning, but I don’t know if you got it or not. Your father and I are about twenty minutes away, so get ready because we are going to be there soon to pick up you and James!”_ **

While Steve strains to hear the message, Bucky shrugs and goes back to work in pleasuring his baby. Steve feels the cool bite of metal as Bucky’s hand slips under his shirt, his palm running over his stomach smoothly.

“B-Buck…”

“Shh, just listen to the message baby.”

**_“I hope you already have your things packed up, because we need to leave right away in order to make it to Boston before 3.”_ **

Steve arches his back suddenly when Bucky palms his crotch with his flesh hand, soft and gentle, yet hard and demanding and scalding all the same. He tips his head back with a choked moan, catching the dark, lust-filled look in Bucky’s eyes before his own completely fall shut in a blurred state of pleasure. 

He’s pretty sure that his mother might still be talking in the background, due to the fact that he can hear small snippets of her voice floating through the kitchen, but he’s too distracted to care. Bucky is sucking small marks on his collarbone while his hands work their magic on Steve’s body, touching just the right spots at just the right time.

By the time the message is over and the answering machine is automatically turned off, Steve is achingly hard; he’s rutting against Bucky's thigh that is shoved in-between his legs, rubbing mindlessly up and down, trying to get off. 

Steve knows that he's a moaning and whimpering mess, probably babbling on and on about how much he loves Bucky and fragments of _“Fuck, shit, Buck—ah! Oh god, mmm f-fuck!”_

“Yeah baby,” Bucky's voice is husky from arousal, dripping in seductive undertones and tenderness. Bucky’s thigh is pushing back on Steve’s cock, pressing down and moving to give Steve more stimulation. “That's it, that's it. C’mon baby, come for me. So pretty when you come baby boy, so fucking gorgeous for daddy.”

“B-Buck,” Steve tries, he really does. But he can’t help the long, blissed out moan he produces when Bucky licks a flat line up his neck. He really can’t help it. “Shit, I’m gonna… oh fuck I’m gonna—”

“Yes, baby boy. Go ahead, wanna watch you. You got it baby, c’mon, c’mon— _fuck_ , Stevie, so pretty when you come. Good god, fucking _fuck_.” And then Bucky’s covering Steve’s lips with his, nibbling at his bottom lip as he rolls his hips against Steve. Steve manages to open his eyes just as Bucky comes, and he marvels at the sight of his naked boyfriend. Bucky’s eyes are glazed over, staring everywhere and nowhere all at once. _He beautiful_ , Steve’s brain supplies. _I know_ , he responds.

Bucky’s eyes open and close, as if he’s trying to get himself back together. When their eyes meet, they give each other big, dopey grins, and lean close to share another kiss.

“God Stevie, you’re gonna be the death of me.” Bucky murmurs against his neck, and Steve giggles as he runs a hand through his brown hair.

“You love it.”

“I love _you_.”

Somehow, they manage to make to the bathroom for a quick shower, laughing as they race to get in the shower first. Once inside, Bucky washes Steve’s hair gently, massaging his scalp while Steve washes the brunet’s muscular body. They switch soon after, and Steve resists the urge to giggle as he makes a soap-mohawk with Bucky’s hair. Bucky’s thumbs glide over his sharp hipbones as Steve continues playing with his hair, twirling the long strands with his fingers to make soapy curls.

When he chances a glance at his boyfriend’s eyes, he sees those beautiful blue-grey orbs looking right back at him, small lights of joy and humor dancing in them. He notices something else though, something deep and meaningful. He’s seen that look before, especially in the past few weeks. Steve doesn’t know what it is or what it means, but he wants to. It seems pretty important.

“What?” Steve asks with a shy smile, continuing to twirl Bucky’s hair subconsciously.

Bucky’s lips pull up in a smirk, and he pulls Steve closer. “Have I ever told you how much I love you?”

Steve lets out a giggle finally and nuzzles his cheek against Bucky’s pectoral. “Yeah, I’m pretty sure I know. I love you too.”

“Stevie, ‘m serious.”

Steve lifts his head to stare up at Bucky. The brunet’s head is blocking the spray of the water, effectively washing out all the soap and keeping the water from hitting Steve in the face. True to his word, Bucky’s expression is nothing but serious, and a part of Steve instantly panics inside.

After watching all those rom-coms with Bucky late at night on the couch, he knows that something is up. He _knows_. The boyfriends in the movies always ask their girlfriends, _“You know I love you, right?”_ or _“You know that I would never do anything to hurt you, right?”_. And every single time that line is said, it turns out that the boyfriend was cheating, or that he was planning on leaving all along.

Is Bucky cheating on him?

Is Bucky… going to leave him _?_

_No_ , he tells himself immediately. _Bucky would never do that… would he?_

“Stevie, babydoll, talk to me. What’s the matter?” The concern in Bucky’s voice pulls Steve’s attention out of his thoughts. 

“Huh?” Steve replies dumbly, because honestly, who would want to flat out ask _“Are you cheating on me?” “Are you going to leave me?”_. No one.

Looking back up, he sees that Bucky’s face is now shadowed in worry, so he quickly appeases it. Getting on his tiptoes, Steve presses a kiss on the tip of Bucky’s nose, “I’m fine Buck, promise. I love you, and I know you love me too.”

_At least… I hope you still do._

After an unspoken agreement, they both finish rinsing off and get out of the shower. Bucky wraps Steve up in a fluffy towel and messes up his hair playfully, and Steve wants to smack himself for thinking that Bucky could ever cheat on him; Bucky just _isn’t_ like that. It’s not the way Winifred and George Barnes raised him. If Bucky was truly unhappy, then he’d let Steve know; he wouldn’t keep him guessing.

Steve laughs happily, burrowing his face in the towel like an absolute child, blinking up at Bucky through his eyelashes as the brunet grabs a towel and wraps it around himself. When Bucky looks back at him, he groans and presses Steve against the bathroom door.

“Fuck, Stevie. Please, can I?”

Steve snorts and taps Bucky’s nose lightly with his finger. “Nope.”

“Ah c’mon please? Just a quickie?”

“Buck, my parents are going to be here in, like, five fucking minutes.” Steve laughs again when Bucky drops his head atop his with another groan.

“Dang it.”

Sensing his distress, Steve tilts his head upwards so his mouth comes in contact with Bucky’s ear. “Don’t worry, daddy. You can do whatever you want once we get to Boston.”

Bucky snaps his head up, a dark and lust filled look clouding his eyes. “Fuck yes.”

Steve grins triumphantly. “Alright then, well we need to go get ready if you wanna— _oof._ ”

Bucky catches him off guard by picking him up and tossing him over his shoulder, both of their towels falling to the floor in the process. Laughing, Steve gets thrown onto the bed and Bucky steals a quick kiss before standing upwards.

“Hurry up and get dressed, we gotta make it to Boston soon.” Then Bucky is practically running around the room, pulling a quick outfit from the drawers and slipping on the garments. Steve only just manages to pull a new set of boxers over his skinny legs when Bucky barrels into the closet and pulls out their suitcases; they have been packed since last weekend, since Steve insisted that they get them done ahead of time.

“Buck, slow down. You’re gonna—” Before Steve manages to finish his statement, Bucky accidentally stubs his toe on the side of the dresser en-route to the bathroom. “—hurt yourself.”

Steve has to be honest, as much as he loves his boyfriend, Bucky is very accident prone. _Maybe that’s why he’s dating you, Steven. Because dating you is just another acciden—_

No.

He’s not doing this to himself again.

No.

He’s so lost in his head that he barely feels the soft kiss that’s pressed on his temple, doesn’t hear the knock on the front door or Bucky saying, “Your parents are here, I’m gonna go get the door.”

“Oh, o-okay,” Steve responds quietly, not trusting himself to say anything more. He knows that he’s got himself all worked up over nothing… at least he _hopes_ it’s nothing. By the time he’s done getting dressed, hair combed through neatly, his tee-shirt and jacket smoothed over, Steve walks over to the bedside table and picks up his phone, stuffing it in his back pocket. Steve closes his eyes and takes a deep breath, trying to calm himself down, before he steps forward and opens the bedroom door.

The view before him washes away his worries for the time being, and he manages to pull a small smile. His mom and dad are sitting on the barstools in the kitchen, coffee mugs in hand as Bucky tops them off with a fresh, steaming pot. They turn to look at him as he closes the bedroom door, the small ‘click’ alerting them of his presence.

“Steve!” Sarah exclaims, setting down her mug and running over to her son, enveloping him in a tight hug.

“Hi ma,” Steve hugs her back, pressing a kiss to her temple. Looking over her shoulder, he nods in the direction of his father Joseph. “Hey pops.” Joseph raises his coffee mug in greeting, a smile gracing his lightly aged face, and Steve breaks out into a grin. 

Maybe things aren’t as bad as he thinks.

___________________________________________________________

 

Bucky can’t stop the feeling of warmth and pride that floods through him as he watches Steve hug Sarah tightly. It’s been awhile since they’ve both seen Steve’s parents, and Bucky knows how much they mean to him.

The four of them make small talk in the kitchen for a few minutes, Bucky’s arm wrapped tightly around Steve’s waist the whole time, never letting him go. He… he knows that something is going on with Steve, but he’s not going to ask him in front of his parents. Steve’s being _extra_ clingy right now, and he isn’t sure why. Sure, Bucky knows that he likes being held whenever possible, but Steve is literally white-knuckling his shirt and tucking himself into Bucky’s side.

Bucky’s not sure if he said or did something to cause this new change in Steve’s behavior, and he’s starting to get concerned. Every time he moves slightly or turns to address Sarah, Steve looks up at him with a sudden look of panic before he calms down just as quick, masking over his previous emotion with a smile.

Not knowing what else to do, Bucky instinctually pulls him closer; not missing the loving smile that Sarah sends his way, or the way Joseph’s jaw shifts as the older man burns a hole through Bucky’s skull with a hard stare.

Halfway during one of Sarah’s rants about her new neighbors across the street, Joseph stands up from his seat, causing Steve and Bucky to look in his direction.

“James, care to help me with the luggage?”

Bucky goes to respond with an affirmative ‘yes sir’ when Steve speaks up. “I can help—”

“It’s okay babe,” Bucky interrupts and presses a kiss to his hair, getting up from his leaning position and unwrapping his arms from around his boyfriend. “I’ve got it.”

“Buck, you sure? I can—”

“Stevie, don’t worry about it,” Bucky laughs. “It’s just a couple of bags.”

He steps away from the kitchen, grabbing the luggage and following Joseph out of the apartment. They walk in silence to the elevator, Bucky rolling both of the suitcases. Once inside and the doors closed, Joseph speaks up again.

“So, James. How’ve you been?”

Bucky contains his surprise, but just barely. This… this was not the conversation starter he was expecting. He thought it would be more along the lines of _“What are your intentions with my son?”_ , but apparently not.

“I-I’ve been doing great, sir.”

Joseph nods, accepting his answer. “That’s great to hear. You’re still working with Stark, right?”

“Yes sir.”

“Are you enjoying it?”

“Yes sir.”

“Good, good. It’s a stable job, I hope?”

“Yes sir. The only reason I wouldn’t have that job anymore would be if I quit.”

Joseph sends him a worried look as the elevator doors open and they both step out. “You… you aren’t thinking of quitting, right?”

“Well n-no, sir. I… I can’t think of any reason I would leave, unless Steve needed me too, for some reason. But, no sir, I can’t see myself leaving anytime soon.” Bucky replies uneasily. He thinks he knows where this conversation is going; Joseph is testing him to see if Bucky could provide for Steve, given if their relationship were to go further… and by further, that means marriage.

They walk out the apartment building doors and through the parking lot, heading towards the Rogers’ old tan and white 1958 Chevy Bel Air. They’ve had the car since… well, now that Bucky thinks about it, he’s basically grown up in the backseat of that car.

When he and Steve were in grade school, Sarah used to drive them both to school in that car, then pick them up in the afternoon. Those days were filled with descriptions of art projects and playground gossip, Steve’s laughter and Bucky’s heart-eyes. Bucky can bet that Sarah knew that Bucky has loved Steve since they were kids, and she would be one-hundred percent right.

By the time the boys were in high school, they both took turns driving to and from school. That was Bucky’s favorite time of the day. Just being able to keep one hand on the wheel and cruise down the road with the love of his life by his side was his favorite thing in the world. Back then, all he had to do was turn his head and watch Steve hang his arm out the window and play with the wind, and those small moments made him happy. They’d switch positions every week, Steve driving one week and Bucky the next.

Frank Sinatra cassette tapes usually played in the background of their conversations. Rain or shine, it was always Frank Sinatra. To say Steve’s parents loved Frank’s music would be an understatement, and that love seemed to be genetically passed on to Steve.

Bucky and Steve had managed to memorize all the lyrics of every song that were on those tapes, and Bucky sang like he was singing it _for_ Steve, _to_ Steve. Especially those love songs that played on rainy days on their way home from a late dinner at the nearby diner, just the two of them. Bucky had always liked to believe that they were going on dates.

A movement in the backseat of the car pulls Bucky out of his memories, and it’s not long before a giant fluff-ball jumps out of the car, tackling him to the ground in a swift motion.

“Oh my god, Maisie?!” It’s the dog. The dang dog that Steve got for his dad’s birthday three years ago. She’s a husky, and a beautiful one at that. Bucky helped Steve pick her out, and it seems like she remembers him. Getting himself into a sitting position, he scratches her head and looks up at Joseph. “You brought Maisie?!”

Joseph laughs as he opens the trunk of the car. Walking over, he crouches beside Bucky and pets Maisie across her back. “Yeah. It’s been awhile since Steve’s seen her, and Sarah wanted the dog at the ceremony, so I couldn’t really say no.”

“Happy wife, happy life?” Bucky jokes, beaming proudly when Joseph tips his head back with a hearty laugh.

“Don’t I know it.” Joseph stands up again, grabbing the luggage and tossing it in the back of the car. Bucky stands up as well, pressing a kiss to Maisie’s muzzle before guiding her back into the car.

“Hey… umm, Joseph? I’ve been meaning to ask you…”

Joseph looks up with interest, coming around the car and leaning against it to face Bucky. “Yes son?”

_Son_. That simple word makes him go crazy inside, It’s like… joy? but with more feeling? He’s not sure how to describe it, but it makes him happy nonetheless.

“I’ve been… Well, I’ve been thinking…” Gosh, he can’t remember the last time he was this nervous. He’s tripping over his words, chopping up his sentences in more way than he can count. With a sigh, he shoots everything out in one word. _“I’mgonnaaskStevetomarryme.”_

Joseph doesn’t look surprised, he notices after a few tense seconds. In fact, Steve’s dad just crosses his arms and _smirks_ in Bucky’s direction. His mouth opens and closes like a fish, unsure of what to do next.

“So,” Joseph is smiling like the Devil himself, like he knows something that Bucky doesn’t. “You want to ask my son to to marry you, huh? Are you telling me this because you, what, you want my permission?”

It takes a few seconds for Bucky to respond. “I… I… no? Yes? I don’t know sir. All I know is that I want to marry Steve, sir. He’s all I want in life—”

“Because if you want my blessing,” Joseph interrupts. “You’ve already got it.”

“Steve’s the most perfec— wait, what?”

“I _said_ ,” Joseph has that smirk again, but this time, Bucky isn’t as terrified of it as he was moments before. “You’ve already got my blessing. You’ve had it for awhile son, just took you long enough to realize it.”

“I… sir?”

Joseph looks up at the sky, avoiding Bucky’s gaze expertly. “You and my son… you’ve had chemistry between you for a long time. I was surprised, back when you boys were both in high school, that you _didn’t_ take him out on a date when he came out. I was sure you liked him. Did you…?”

“Yes sir, I did.” Bucky answers quickly. It’s the truth; Bucky’s loved Steve since as long as he can remember.

“He wanted you to, you know that?” Joseph continues. “Don’t tell him I told you though, he’d only get upset. Steve’s liked you for a very long time, James. He wanted you to take him out on a date, or whatever it is you kids call it these days. But he had managed to convince himself that you hadn’t liked him back.”

A sudden pang of hurt and guilt hits Bucky in the chest like a truck. He can’t imagine what Steve must have been going through, just watching Bucky go out with any guy or girl he wanted and not being able to go out with Bucky _himself_. God, he feels like such an asshole. How could he have done that to his best friend? How did he not _notice_ that Steve wanted to be with him? Is there anyway to travel back in time, because he’d really like to know that right now.

“Don’t feel bad, James. You both have each other now. But, I will tell you this: You break his heart? I’ll break _you_.”

Bucky nods quickly, because he knows that Joseph isn’t kidding. Just because he’s nearing the age of fifty-five doesn’t mean that he couldn’t snap Bucky if he wanted to. “Yes sir, I understand. But, you’ve gotta know that I would never do that to Steve.”

Joseph nods, lifting himself from the car and resting his hand on Bucky’s shoulder. “You’re a good man, James. Don’t ever think differently. I see how much my son loves you; I’ve watched you grow into a strong, young man, and I know the kind of person you are. You’ve got a good heart, and you’ve got Steve’s heart as well. I expect a wedding invitation soon.”

Bucky smiles, big and wide. “Yes sir, you’ve got it.”

Their conversation finishes just as Steve and Sarah walk out of the building, arm in arm and laughing amicably. Bucky catches Steve’s eye from across the parking lot, getting a wink from the blond, and feels his smile get even bigger. _I can’t wait to marry you, Stevie._


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky loves Steve.
> 
> Steve loves Bucky.
> 
> Everything is going to be okay.
> 
> … right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry I am such a terrible person. I don't know how you all put up with me, but thank you so much for doing so :)
> 
> I have another lovely chapter for this series, so I hope you all enjoy it!

Steve falls asleep within the first hour of the car ride, snoring peacefully in Bucky’s lap. Any jerk of the car or bump in the road makes him cuddle closer to Bucky, his nose pressing into Bucky’s stomach and his nimble fingers fisting his jacket. Looking down at him with a smile, Bucky brushes those blond locks out of Steve’s face, his thumb lightly caressing his boyfriend’s cheek.

Steve is so adorable when he’s sleeping. His lips always seem to curl upwards into a small smile when Bucky cards his hands through his hair. His eyes move slowly underneath his eyelids, a silent signal that he is having a wonderful, peaceful dream. His strong arms, both metal and flesh, hold onto Bucky like a lifeline, daring anyone to come and take Bucky away from him.

“Is he asleep?” Sarah asks, turning around without disrupting the dog in her lap. As much as Maisie is a huge dog, she always manages to curl up in Steve’s mother’s lap and become a small ball of fluff. Bucky hums, looking up at Sarah with a soft smile and making a silly face at Maisie when the dog pops her head up.

“Yeah,” Bucky murmurs softly. “He’s asleep.”

“So James,” Sarah begins, facing forward again and lightly stroking Maisie’s fur. “How long have you two been together, uh, _romantically_ ? Steven never _quite_ gave me the details.”

“Oh, well, umm…” Bucky isn’t too sure how to answer this question, so he clears his throat and tries as best he can. He wishes he could say that he’s been with Steve since _forever_ , but he was too busy having his head up his ass to realize that the love of his life had _loved him back_. “Uh, I’d say we’ve been together almost a year now.”

“Oh that’s wonderful!” Sarah exclaims, a bright smile covering her face. “Stop me if I’m too forward, but do I hear possible wedding bells?”

Bucky blushes, looking down at Steve to make sure that he’s asleep before he trusts himself to speak. “Actually…”

Sarah gasps happily, turning around to face him again. Maisie huffs in Sarah’s lap, trying to get comfortable after Steve’s mom’s sudden movement. “James, are you saying…”

“Yeah…” Bucky regains eye contact with Sarah, and he thinks he sees tears beginning to form in her eyes. “I’m gonna ask Steve to marry me.”

Sarah squeals happily, grabbing her husband’s shoulders and shaking him lightly, trying not to distract him from driving but also letting him know of her excitement. “Joey, our baby’s getting married!”

Joseph takes one hand off the wheel and grabs Sarah’s hand, pressing a light kiss on her palm. “I know dear, I know. But you can’t say anything, I know how excited you get.”

“I know, I know!” Sarah looks over at her son’s sleeping form. With tentative movements, she lays a hand on Steve’s hair and ruffles it gently and lovingly. Steve snuffles in his sleep, scooting closer to Bucky and nuzzling his face in Bucky’s stomach, causing Bucky to smile. Steve is so fucking adorable. “I just… I can’t believe it… my son is going to get married.”

“If he says yes…” Bucky sighs as he brushes his thumb across Steve’s cheek, fearful of the possibility that Steve will say no.

Giving Bucky a loving smile, Sarah takes his metal hand in hers, not reacting differently to the sudden cold piercing her fingertips. “He will. I know he will. I’m glad that it’s you James. Truly, I am very happy. It’s always been you.”

“Thank you, Sarah.” Bucky replies honestly. This is Steve’s mom’s way of giving her blessing, and Bucky is completely floored by it. Steve’s parents are so _nice._ They don’t realize how much of a blessing their son is to him. They think _he_ blessed them by coming into their lives? No, it’s the other way around. Bucky is blessed to have the Roger’s family in his life, and he is going to be thankful for them the rest of his life.

“So,” Sarah starts up conversation again, wiping away her happy tears with her sleeve and facing forward in her seat. “Have you gotten a ring yet?”

“Unfortunately, no.” Bucky sighs, looking down at his baby boy in his lap. _Steve’s so cute when he sleeps, so fucking pretty._ “I’ve been looking around in some jewelry stores in New York, but I haven’t found anything yet…”

“Well, you know,” Joseph pipes up, turning the car into the left lane of the freeway. “There’s this shoppe in Boston where I got Sarah’s ring, and it’s only about twenty minutes away from where you boys grew up. I think they do custom designs there as well.” Joseph tips his head towards his wife, prompting her to hand Bucky her ring to examine it. Sarah smiles before slipping it off, placing it in her palm and handing it to Bucky. Bucky takes it with hesitancy, afraid that his touch will break the crafted piece in his hand. Sarah smiles at his nervousness and nudges her head towards his hand, a telling sign that she’s not worried about him breaking it. She trusts him.

Once he realizes that he isn’t going to do any damage, Bucky brings it closer and studies it. Up until now, Bucky never paid much attention to Sarah’s ring. But now that he has it in his hand and mere inches away from his eyes, he realizes that it is absolutely _stunning._ It’s probably the most beautiful feminine wedding ring that he’s ever seen. The silver wraps around the single diamond like vines, raising it up on a pedestal of glory and elegance. It seems that no matter where the light is shining from, the ring is always sparkling. It’s simpler than majority of the rings Bucky has seen women wear, but it’s no less beautiful.

Simple yet beautiful.

Just like Steve. A simple man with a beautiful soul.

That’s it… that’s what Bucky was missing this whole time! He’s been looking for extravagant bands, trying to find the nicest and most expensive one he could, thinking that a bigger ring would solve his searching problems. But the big rings _were_ the problem. Steve wouldn’t like something big and showy, he’d want something simple and soft. Bucky knows _exactly_ what to look for now.

“Sarah, this is absolutely beautiful.” Bucky breathes, spinning the small piece of jewelry in his fingers before handing it back to her gently. Maisie lifts her head up and licks at Sarah’s hand when she slips the ring back on her finger. “Joseph, where’d you say this store is again?”

Joseph chuckles, throwing Bucky a smirk from the rearview mirror. “I thought you’d never ask.”

___________________________________________________________

 

“Dinner reservations are at seven o’clock, boys. Get some rest, but don’t be late!” Sarah tells them as they part ways on their hotel floor, sending Steve a small wink before stepping out of the elevator. Steve can’t help but blush hard as Bucky laughs beside him, throwing his arm around his shoulder and kissing his temple.

“Wouldn’t dream of it, Sarah!” Bucky calls back, earning a chuckle from his mom as Steve and Bucky step out of the elevator as well. Maisie pushes past them and takes off down the hall, running circles around Sarah’s legs as Sarah looks for her and Joseph’s assigned hotel room.

“Bucky!” Steve accuses, looking up at him with a pleading and distressed look. He pouts, prompting Bucky to lean down and capture his lips in a soft yet hungry kiss. Steve doesn’t suppress the smile gracing his lips as the kiss becomes deeper, raising a hand and running it through Bucky’s hair, gripping it loosely. Steve hears Bucky moan against his lips and feels his flesh arm slowly wrap around his waist, bringing their bodies closer together.

“Keep it PG, boys!” Joseph adds from his door down the hall and they quickly pull away from the embarrassment of getting caught. Joseph laughs when Steve shouts _‘Dad!’_ , and closes his door, leaving Steve and Bucky alone in the hallway. Bucky chuckles lightly beside him, causing Steve to glare up at him.

“Don’t encourage him, Buck.” Steve demands, pointing a finger in Bucky direction before untangling from his boyfriend’s grip and walking down the carpeted hall towards their assigned room, leaving Bucky behind to follow him.

“Who… me? _Never_ .” Bucky draws out his lie, trailing behind him and rolling their luggage as Steve ventures the halls for their room. After a few false calls, Steve finally manages to find their room and pulls out the key card, sliding it in and watching the small light turn green. Steve giggles when he opens the door, his body shaking with nerves and excitement. It’s been _forever_ since he’s been in a hotel, but he’s rarely ever been in a _fancy_ hotel.

Joseph and Sarah own one of the largest, most popular art galleries’ in Boston, filled with numerous famous paintings and sculptures. With the publicity so high in the area, A-list celebrities always deem time to visit the exquisite gallery and give their opinions, as well as donations. Many, _many_ donations. So many that Joseph and Sarah had the opportunity to build their dream home: a fifty acre property with a log-cabin style house, a small forest filled with beautiful trees, and to top it all off, a lake with a boat house. Unfortunately, the venue won’t be at the Roger’s house, due to the fact that Sarah doesn’t want _“to clean up everyone’s mess”_ at her house.

Steve squeals happily before running into the room and collapsing onto the bed, laughing like a child at the feeling of the soft sheets underneath his body. After mindlessly toeing off his shoes, he splays out in the middle of the bed and cuddles into the comforter, sighing happily and closing his eyes. This bed is _beyond_ fucking comfortable, it’s _heaven_. So cozy and soft and fluffy, it’s absolutely perfect.

Steve hears Bucky’s faint chuckle from across the room, the sound of suitcases dropping to the ground following shortly after. Without any prompting or warning, Steve hears Bucky run across the room and feels the bed suddenly dip sharply. Steve laughs quietly as Bucky settles into the bed beside him, slowly looking up to see Bucky wiggle against the mattress, trying to get comfortable.

“You’re a dork.” Steve mumbles, his hair falling into his face in the process. Lifting his head, Steve attempts to blow the blond strands from his face, only to have them fall back down. Bucky chuckles at his failed attempts and reaches forward, grasping his arms and pulling him up the expanse of the bed, settling the blond on his chest. Steve smiles shyly as Bucky gently brushes his hair out of his face. Bucky smiles, letting his thumb glide over Steve’s bottom lip and cheek at a slow pace.

“So are you.” Bucky replies, leaning forward to give Steve a small peck on his nose. “I love you.”

Those three small words wash away Steve’s worries almost instantly. He does his best to forget about the thoughts he had this morning, trying to reassure himself that nothing is wrong and that it’s all in his head. Bucky loves him, and he loves Bucky.

Bucky loves Steve.

Steve loves Bucky.

Everything is going to be okay.

… right?

Steve hums, ignoring his thoughts and cuddling into Bucky’s warm embrace happily. “I love you too.”

They bleed away the next few hours doing nothing but watching TV, wrapped up in each other’s arms and trading soft kisses. It’s sweet, warm, gentle, and beautiful. To Steve, this is absolutely perfect. Having Bucky’s arms wrapped around his tiny frame makes him feel safe; makes him feel wanted; makes him feel _loved_.

Makes him forget about all his insecurities for just a little bit. Makes him believe that everything is perfect and that Bucky isn’t going to leave him. Makes him hope for a future with Bucky, a future full of love and marriage and a family of their own… Steve’s not even sure if Bucky _wants_ any of that. But he hopes. Oh God, he fucking _hopes_.

Steve wants to be able to call Bucky _his_ for the rest of his life. He wants to be _Bucky’s_ forever. Wanting— no, _needing_ — is what Steve feels. He needs Bucky. Bucky is his rock, his safe place, the love of his life. His _home_. Without Bucky, life seems pointless and unlivable.

So… how is he going to survive when… Bucky leaves him…?

Steve has no idea. What is life without Bucky Barnes? Can it even be called _life_ if Bucky isn’t a part of it? Sure, Steve went years without having Bucky as his boyfriend, as his lover, but regardless of that, Bucky was always with him. But if — _when_ — that gets ripped away from him, he’s not sure he knows how to go back to his old lifestyle.

Steve doesn’t realize that Bucky has fallen asleep beside him until the brunet cuddles his tiny body closer with a light snore, snuggling into Steve’s back and holding him close. Steve smiles sadly.

_He’s going to miss Bucky’s cuddles, the feeling of Bucky pressed up behind him and holding him close, keeping him safe. He’s going to miss the soft good morning kisses and Bucky terrible bedhead that makes him look absolutely adorable. He’s going to miss the late nights in front of the TV, their focus solely on each other instead of the TV. He’s going to miss the way Bucky knows his body just right, caressing and touching the spots that drive Steve past the point of pleasure. He’s going to miss the feeling that he gets deep down in his core when Bucky calls him ‘baby boy’. He’s going to miss… everything._

_Their simple morning coffee dates on Saturdays, their occasional walks in the park on Wednesdays, take-out Tuesdays, pizza Fridays, and the meals that they always cooked together on all the other days of the week._

_He’s going to miss the poetry that Bucky recites when he’s had too many drinks. He’s going to miss Bucky’s laugh, the way his beautiful blue-grey eyes crinkle around the corners and the way his nose scrunches up in the cutest and most adorable way. He’s going to miss Bucky’s dumb jokes that make no sense and his beautiful, radiant smile. He’s going to miss their stupid fights that they have over nothing truly worth arguing about, the type of fights that end with them hold each other close until morning, whispering honest apologies and sweet-nothings into each other’s ears. They fight over stupid shit, but it’s_ their _stupid shit, and Steve wouldn’t change that for the world._

The TV plays softly in the background, completely unforgotten. Steve turns slightly in the bed, craning his head to look at the clock on the bedside table. Six o’clock. Perfect. Just enough time for Steve to carry out his surprise plan. Setting aside his worries and filling his mind with happy thoughts, Steve begins his plan.

Untangling from Bucky’s hold without waking up his boyfriend, Steve climbs out of bed and toes quietly over to his suit case. He unzips it slowly, glancing over his shoulder to make sure Bucky hasn’t woken up. Once he is assured that Bucky is indeed not going to awaken, Steve opens his bag and begins his search. Upon finding the items for Bucky’s surprise, Steve takes them out and closes up his bag before scurrying to the bathroom, locking the door for good measure — _just in case_ — He doesn’t want to spoil the surprise.

Flipping on the light in the bathroom, he places the objects for the surprise by the sink and gets to work. Steve unbuttons his jeans, quickly sliding the denim down his legs and placing the garment on the counter. The next thing to go is his underwear, which he folds up and places beside his jeans. Now, standing there in only a simple tee and a sure-smile, the real fun can begin.

Steve hopes Bucky is going to like his surprise, because he definitely does.

___________________________________________________________

 

Bucky startles awake when he feels Steve jump on top of him, the blond laughing in delight when Bucky groans sleepily. Bucky cracks open an eye, blinking up at Steve to see him smiling down at him, his cheeks tinged pink and his eyes twinkling. _My beautiful baby boy,_ Bucky thinks happily. _He’s so gorgeous and he’s mine. How did I get so lucky?_

“C’mon, ya gotta get up.” Steve insists, leaning back and pulling Bucky into a seated position before wiggling back into his lap. “We gotta leave soon.”

Shit. When did he fall asleep? Did he really sleep all the way until seven o’clock? Yikes.

Bucky leans forward tiredly, pressing his lips to Steve’s and wrapping his arms around his boyfriend’s tiny waist. Much to his pleasure, Steve moans against his mouth and runs his fingers through his brown hair, gripping it softly and pulling Bucky closer. But when Bucky reaches for the waist of Steve’s jeans, the blond pulls away and places his nimble fingers on Bucky hand, effectively stopping him from continuing.

“As much as I would love to continue this,” Steve says breathlessly as Bucky kisses down his throat, and Bucky can’t help the smirk that decorates his lips when Steve moans again. “We need to get going. Ma’s gonna be pissed if we’re late.”

“Hmm okay,” Bucky hums but makes no move to stop. And why would he? Bucky _loves_ being able to shower Steve in a waterfall of kisses at any possible time. He’s making up for lost time, trying to make up for the pain he caused Steve when they weren’t together, but he knows it will never be enough. And that’s okay, because no matter what, there will never be a day where Bucky doesn’t kiss Steve breathless. Not now, not ever. He’s going to kiss Steve up until the day he dies, and even past that if God lets him. The taste of Steve’s lips, his skin, his moans, his whimpers, drives Bucky insane in the best possible way, and there’s no way that Bucky would ever want to stop.

Steve lets out a chuckle when Bucky squeezes and massages his ass, wiggling his hips to escape Bucky’s grip. Steve tilts his head to whisper into Bucky’s ear, his voice soft and angelic. “We can have some fun when we get back, daddy.”

It’s Bucky’s turn to moan out in pleasure. “Fuck yes, baby boy.”

With the thought of having Steve riding his cock in just a few hours, Bucky lifts Steve off of him, setting him down on the bed and walking to the corner of the room to put on his shoes. Once he’s satisfied with his shoes, Bucky strolls over to the mirror that hangs on the wall beside the bed and fixes his bedhead, trying to tame the wild strands. Catching Steve’s eyes and smile from the mirror, he can’t help but let out a grin of his own as thoughts of spending the rest of his life with Steve flood his mind.

_I can’t fucking wait to marry you, Steve._

___________________________________________________________

 

The restaurant that Joseph takes them to that evening is nice and quiet. Soft music plays in the background as waiters bust tables and serve delicious meals. In the booth, Sarah and Joseph sit across from Steve and Bucky and talk amicably about the Vow Renewal. It’s only a few days away, and that being said, Sarah is a bundle of nerves.

“Oh! Did I tell you that I’m walking down the aisle with Maisie?” Sarah asks Steve as she picks at her salad. Steve looks up at his mom while he scoops some pasta onto his fork.

“I don’t think so,” Steve replies, lifting the fork to his mouth. “Is she going to be able to stay still during the ceremony?”

“Well,” Joseph speaks up. “I’ve been taking her to a trainer for the past couple months, so she should do just fine.”

Steve nods in content, accepting his father’s answer and eating his pasta. For the rest of the night, Sarah babbles on about the ceremony, reminding everyone how excited she is. Steve’s mom and dad never did have a proper wedding — hell, Sarah walked down the aisle in _jeans_ — so Steve understands why she is acting the way she is. He likes seeing his mom happy, and so does Joseph. Steve’s dad stares at her with a loving gaze throughout the dinner, always smiling at her and kissing her cheek. Steve has to admit, his parents are adorable. A match made in heaven. Perfect for each other. He’s so happy to have them as his parents, he can’t even begin to describe it. Directing his gaze to Bucky, Steve realises that Bucky is giving him the same type of look Joseph was giving his mom. _Love_.

So maybe… maybe Steve has this entire idea in his head, the idea of Bucky cheating on him? It’s just _not_ like Bucky, he wasn’t raised like that. While Steve is not one hundred percent certain on whether or not he’s stuck in his mind, he does no one thing: right now, in this moment, he loves Bucky Barnes more than anything else in the world. Bucky leans down and places a gentle kiss on the tip of his nose, whispering _“I love you, Stevie”_ as he pulls away. Steve preens, tilting his head back to lay a kiss on his boyfriend’s cheek. _“I love you too, Buck”._

They stare at each other with dopey grins until Sarah clears her throat and giggles. “You two are absolutely adorable.” Steve blushes and rests his head on Bucky’s shoulder while Bucky laughs loudly.

“If anyone is adorable, it’s Steve.”

They finish their dinner soon after and leave the restaurant, but not before leaving a generous tip. Since the restaurant was within walking distance of the hotel, they decided to walk instead of drive. But now, when it’s freezing cold and dark out, Steve silently wishes that they had taken the car. Falling in step with his father, Steve shivers and asks about Joseph’s plans for tomorrow.

“Well, actually… I was wondering if you wanted to go fishing with me tomorrow?” Joseph asks with a hopeful smile, and Steve can’t help but smile back. It’s been so long since he’s gone fishing with his father, and he suddenly realizes how much he misses it. “I know Sarah has some last minute shopping that she wants to get done, so she can bring James along with her.”

“Are you sure?” Steve questions, knowing that Bucky isn’t one who favors shopping in the slightest. “I mean, is Ma okay with that, or…?”

Joseph chuckles, sending Steve an odd look as they continue to walk. Almost as if… almost as if he knows _something_ that Steve doesn’t… but _what_ is it? “Believe me, James is going to enjoy shopping with her tomorrow.”

The conversation eventually drops, the silence pleasant and calming, surrounding them like cozy blankets. They all reach the hotel within a matter of minutes, parting ways at the elevator once more with a string of _‘Good night’_ s falling from their lips. With a happy and carefree sigh, Steve slips his hand into Bucky’s as they both walk towards their hotel room, sending him an elated grin.

It’s time for Bucky’s surprise.

Unlocking the door to the room, Steve steps inside as Bucky follows close behind, shutting the door behind them. Steve is nervous, terrified even. What is Bucky doesn’t like the surprise? What if Bucky gets disgusted by him and leaves him? Oh god, should he even be doing this anymore?

Bucky walks up behind him, wrapping his arms around Steve and pulling Steve’s back to his chest. “You’re tense,” Bucky mutters quietly, kissing and nipping at the back of Steve’s neck wetly. Steve moans, tilting his head back to give Bucky better access, which Bucky gladly accepts and dives in, marking up Steve’s neck with hickeys and love-bites. Steve turns around in Bucky’s arms, grabbing fistfuls of his shirt and closing the distance between their lips. No matter how many times Steve kisses Bucky, it feels like the first time all over again. It’s simply perfect.

Bucky’s hands trail down his sides, stopping at the waistline of his jeans. With a small nod from Steve, Bucky moves towards the clasp and undoes it carefully, grabbing the zipper and tugging it down little by little. Steve doesn’t show it, but he’s beginning to panic again; Bucky is mere millimeters from his surprise, and Steve has no idea how Bucky is going to react.

When Bucky slips his hand into Steve’s jeans, probably expecting to find Steve in simple boxers, Steve’s heart stops and he prepares for the worst. Bucky gasps, pulling his plump lips away from Steve’s kiss and shooting a look down at Steve’s underwear… more specifically… his _red lace panties_.

Also known as his surprise.

So, uh… surprise?

Steve has been planning this for at least a couple weeks, hoping that Bucky might like this new step in their relationship. Steve has never told Bucky before, but he actually enjoys wearing lace. But now, it only seems that Bucky _doesn’t_ like it. He hasn’t said a word in the last minute, not moving and keeping his gaze directed on the lace. Steve does his best to remain calm, but his resolve is fading fast.

“Y-you don’t like it, do you?” Steve asks warily, his voice sounding small and beginning to crack. Oh god this is it, this is the last straw. Bucky is definitely going to leave him now. _Way to go Rogers, you had to go and fuck it up, didn’t you? He’s going to leave you and it's all your fault._ In his blinded state of panic, Steve doesn't realize that Bucky's hand is slowly traveling deeper into his pants, his flesh fingers tentatively positioning themselves around Steve’s lace-covered cock. “Dammit. B-Buck, I’m sorry. I’ll go take it off.”

Before he can even move a muscle, Bucky wraps his fingers around the outline of Steve’s dick and squeezes. _F-fuck, that feels good._ Surprised by the sudden sensation, Steve gasps and shoots his head into the crook of Bucky’s neck, moaning quietly as Bucky begins to massage his cock.

“Moan for me, sweetheart.” Bucky’s husky voice floods his ears, making another involuntary moan leave his mouth. Bucky growls, pulling Steve closer as his hand goes further down Steve’s pants. “That’s it sweetheart, let me hear you.”

If it weren’t for the arm around his waist and the hand down his pants keeping him upright, Steve would be on the floor as nothing other than a pile of sex appeal and arousal. His legs feel weak and his body is shaking. He wants Bucky to touch him, _needs_ him to. Dammit, he’s not even sure if Bucky actually _likes_ the lace or is just pitying him.

“Buck…” Steve drawls out, clinging to Bucky’s shirt. Bucky only growls again in response, tilting his head to bite at the crook of Steve’s neck as his hand kneads Steve’s balls in his hand.

“Fuck, baby boy. Look at you.” Bucky moans against his neck when the tip of his dick peeks out over the waistline of his panties. A whimper leaves Steve’s lips before he can stop it, and it only seems to spur Bucky on. Without a word, Bucky slowly removes his hand from Steve’s jeans and trails both hands up Steve’s lithe body, stopping only when he reaches the buttons at the top of Steve’s shirt.

One by one, the buttons come undone, steadily revealing the expanse of Steve’s pale chest. Every time a button is opened, Bucky places a kiss on the newly revealed skin and ends up on his knees before Steve, staring up at him with lust-filled eyes as he continues kissing down his stomach. Once the shirt is completely unbuttoned, Bucky reaches up and palms the fabric from Steve’s shoulders, the shirt falling to the floor beside Steve’s feet.

Steve immediately gasps, not expecting Bucky to place a kiss on the slit of his cock as the brunet works him out of his jeans. In less than a minute, Steve is standing there in just his red lace panties, nearly bare compared to Bucky, who is kneeling on the floor fully clothed. Steve grips Bucky’s brown hair loosely, mewling quietly as Bucky trails kisses up his legs, his chest, and finally, stands up to meet his own lips once more.

Afraid that he’s going to fall over from sensory overload, Steve wraps his arms around Bucky’s neck tightly, pulling their bodies impossibly closer together and kissing him roughly. Fuck. He needs Bucky inside him. Only Bucky can make him feel good. Only Bucky can make him come undone. Bucky is the only one he needs, the only one he wants.

Bucky moans at Steve’s exuberance, grabbing handfuls of Steve’s lace-covered ass and rubbing their dicks against each other. Holy _fuck._ Bucky is hard, like, _really_ fucking hard, and Steve hasn’t even _touched_ him yet. That can mean only one thing: Bucky actually enjoys seeing him in lace.

Steve nearly screams in pleasure when Bucky picks him up, his legs instantly wrapping around his boyfriend’s torso. There’s more to the surprise than just the lace panties. Underneath the lace, stuffed up his hole in the most pleasurable way, is an anal plug. Yes, a goddamned _anal plug_. Can you blame him though? He wanted to be prepped and ready to take Bucky’s cock if it turned out that Bucky liked seeing Steve in lace.

Bucky rubs Steve’s ass as he carries him to the bed, laying him down gently on the bed before crawling over him, caging him in against the mattress. “Look at you, my beautiful baby boy. Fuck kitten, you look amazing in lace. I’ve been wanting to ask you about it, but _fuck baby_ , it’s better than I thought.”

Pressing a kiss to Steve’s jaw, Bucky begins his journey south, claiming Steve’s tiny body with love-bites, a clear sign to everyone on this damned planet that Steve is _Bucky’s_ and Bucky is _Steve’s_. Steve holds his breath as Bucky peals back the lace with his teeth, a dark and hungry look in his eyes as he pulls the skimpy garment down Steve’s legs.

“My beautiful, beautiful baby boy,” Bucky murmurs, placing the panties off to the side before running his hands up Steve’s outstretched legs. Steve whines in distress when Bucky leaves the bed to grab lube, his hands fisting the sheets as he waits for Bucky to return.

“Shh shh shh, baby. I’m here. I ain’t leavin’ ya, honey.” Bucky soothes, coming back with the bottle. Situating himself between Steve’s legs, Bucky goes to open the bottle but Steve stops him.

“You don’t need that, daddy.” Bucky shoots him a confused look. Steve smiles shyly, taking the bottle from Bucky’s hands and placing it on the bed, before he grabs Bucky’s hand in his. With soft and slow motions, Steve guides his hand down his pale chest, past his cock and towards his hole.

Bucky gasps suddenly, and Steve lets go of his hand. Bucky found it. “ _Fuck._ Stevie, is that…?”

Steve can only nod in affirmation.

Bucky moans obscenely loud and lowers his head, licking a flat stripe up Steve’s cock before swallowing him down in one go. Steve howls out in pleasure, his nimble fingers running through Bucky’s hair in an effort to keep himself from coming too soon. Bucky’s hand closes around the plug and twists, causing Steve to arch his back sharply.

“Fuck!” Steve yells, his hands shooting off to the side to grip the bed sheets. “Fuck, daddy please! Daddy, I need you!”

“So fucking hot hearing you beg, baby boy.” Bucky pulls off him long enough to speak. He swirls his tongue around the slit and engulfs Steve’s length once more as he carefully pulls out the plug, revealing Steve’s open and ready hole. The cool air hits him like a truck, causing his back to arch in pleasure. “You want me to fuck you, kitten? Remind you who you belong to?”

Yes. Oh god yes. Steve wants it so bad. He needs Bucky so fucking bad that he feels like he might explode. “Please…”

Bucky ends up with his back against the headboard, his pants lowered to his knees and Steve straddling his waist. Steve hangs onto his shoulders as Bucky slowly maneuvers him over his hard and waiting cock. In a fluid motion, Steve sinks down with a hearty moan. _“Daddy…”_

“Oh baby boy,” Bucky whispers heatedly, grabbing Steve’s hips and rolling their hips against each other. Steve whimpers and clings to Bucky’s shirt again, his cock rubbing against Bucky’s well-defined abs repeatedly. “Look at you sweetheart. You’re so fucking gorgeous, baby. You take my cock so well I can’t believe it. And god honey, you in those little panties? Fuck, baby you’ve got no idea how gorgeous you looked. But you’re always gorgeous for daddy, right baby?”

Steve can only manage a small, weak nod before he’s tossing his head back with a cry.

“Yeah darlin’, you’re always so fucking gorgeous. Always so perfect. _Fuck,_ I love you.” Bucky rushes forward and kisses him, licking his way into Steve’s mouth as his metal hand gently closes around his cock. The feeling of Bucky jerking him off only spurs Steve on more, rolling his hips harder and beginning to fuck himself back on Bucky’s cock. “C’mon baby, wanna come for your daddy?”

Steve moans, tucking his face into Bucky’s neck as the brunet snaps his hips upward, burying his large cock into Steve’s ass. “Let go baby, I’m right here sweetheart. Let go for me.”

And he does. _Oh fuck_ , does he come. It’s probably harder than he ever has before. Steve screams out Bucky’s name, throwing his head back and rocking his hips, feeling every inch of Bucky’s length inside him. Bucky pumps into him harder for a few more seconds before his grip falters and he comes inside of Steve, filling him to the point where Steve’s hole is leaking with cum.

They take a few deep breaths, calming each other down with soft kisses and loving touches. Steve hisses slightly when Bucky moves to pull out, his sensitive hole aching in the best possible way. Bucky kisses him softly, moving them both so that they are lying down, wrapped in each other’s arms.

With careful, aching movements, Steve reaches down and pulls the covers over their sweaty bodies then cuddles into Bucky’s embrace. Bucky hums pleasantly above him, pulling him closer and pressing a kiss on his sweaty temple.

“Goddamn, sweetheart.” Bucky mumbles. “I always knew you would look good in lace, but _this_ … damn baby.”

Steve chuckles half-heartedly, his eyes beginning to droop from exhaustion. “Mmm… glad you liked it, ‘cause I brought more than one pair.” 

“Oh my fucking god, _yes please_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For reference purposes:
> 
> The Roger's Family Car  
> 
> 
> Maisie  
> 
> 
> So I hope this was okay? :)


	3. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Sarah, I can’t even decide between these two. I can’t look at another one.” _I’m going to look at another one and get completely attached to all three of these rings and it’ll be way harder to decide. Stop it._
> 
> “Trust me,” She conveys before looking at Clint once more. “That one please.”
> 
> “You’ve got it, Mrs. Rogers.” _Suck up_ , Bucky thinks, but he resigns in on himself. Unable to stop Clint from grabbing another ring from the case, Bucky simply watches as Clint’s fingers dance over the boxes, taunting Bucky shamelessly. He picks up a ring next to the one Sarah had asked for by honest mistake, but when he moves to put it back, Bucky stops him.
> 
> “Wait, no. Wait. Can I see that one?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I want to say thank you to everyone who is still sticking with me on this story/series, and just sticking with me in general. I suck at updating, but hopefully this update is worth it? :)
> 
> Hope you guys like it! <3

Steve wakes up groggy, laced with the remnants of sleep staining his body. The sun is slowly beginning to flood through the slit in the curtains, steadily filling the large hotel room with a soft, golden glow. He groans tiredly, turning around and cuddling into his sleeping boyfriend’s chest, relishing in the warmth that emits from Bucky’s muscled body. The strong arms around Steve’s shoulders tighten as Bucky softly grunts, rousing from his sleepy state and back into the land of the living.

“Mornin’ baby,” Bucky mumbles, causing Steve to preen. Stretching, his legs tangle together with Bucky’s beneath the sheets as his nimble fingers clutch at Bucky’s naked chest.

“Mornin’…” Steve yawns, shutting his eyes. Bucky chuckles, his body shaking slightly. Steve doesn’t protest when Bucky heaves his tiny body upon the latter’s chest, running his hands across the pale expanse of skin while Steve settles down comfortably. Another yawn escapes Steve, then a tiny squeak of surprise does as well when Bucky pinches his ass playfully. He objects quietly, feigning annoyance and tucking his head into Bucky’s neck, in an effort to escape the rising sun and the responsibilities that are sure to entail, but also to get comfortable.

“Stop it, leave me alone…” Steve whines like a child, trying to wiggle away from Bucky’s wandering hands. “I’m tired.”

“But we gotta get up, sweetheart.” Bucky tries to reason, brushing his hands over the swell of Steve’s ass and grabbing a soft handful. “We gotta shower, and get ready, and eat, and—”

“Nooo,” Steve grumbles, clawing at Bucky’s chest and trying to disappear under the covers. “I don’t wanna.”

Bucky laughs quietly, pulling Steve farther up the bed and away from the shelter of the warm blankets. He protests weakly, knowing that he won’t win regardless, but he tries. “You forget that we’re hanging out with your parents today?”

Steve stares at Bucky blankly, his eyes squinting from sleep and the horrid sunlight coming from the window. He hates to admit it, but he forgot. He’s spending the day with his dad while Bucky spends it with Sarah. Something short of a distasteful sigh escapes him; he was looking forward to possibly spending all day curled up next to Bucky, allowing himself to let go of all his worries. Right now, Bucky is with _him_ , he isn’t with someone else who is better and more attractive than Steve. But knowing that as soon as Bucky walks out the door he belongs to someone else too… Steve doesn’t particularly enjoy that. So if they stay in bed all day, Bucky won’t leave him. To Steve, it seems like a logical plan.

Bucky holds Steve close as he gently sits up, adjusting Steve’s tiny body in his lap before wrapping his arms around his lower back. Steve hums in content, winding his skinny arms around Bucky’s shoulders and tucking his face back into his lover’s neck. The feeling of Bucky’s hands gliding up and down his spine make Steve feel like he’s on top of the world, safe from anything and everything. Bucky makes him feel this way, _only_ Bucky. He can’t imagine someone else’s hands touching him the way Bucky does, it’s not an idea that he can comprehend nor accept. Being with Bucky this past year has made Steve realize that Bucky is the only one for him, always has been and always will be. He won’t be able to kiss, let alone look, at another man without thinking of Bucky. Dammit, _he’s_ fucked for life. But is _Bucky?_

Does Bucky see forever when he’s with Steve? Does he think of a future that the two of them could possibly share? Does the concept of having a family or the thought of owning their own house ever cross Bucky’s mind? Hell, does Bucky even want to stay with him for the rest of his life? Or is there someone else out there that could steal Bucky’s heart…? What if someone already _has_?

Maybe… maybe this is all in his head. He doesn’t acquire a smidgen of tangible evidence that proves that Bucky could possibly be cheating on him. All he has is a sliver of doubt that was implemented in his mind while they were showering. Steve is really overthinking things. Surely there is no way, not after everything that they’ve been through together, that Bucky could be cheating on him. _It’s all in my head_ , Steve tells himself. _It’s all in my head._

“Up we get, c’mon.” Bucky guides Steve’s legs around his waist before standing up. Despite Steve’s abundance of protests, Bucky sets him down on the floor, snorting loudly when Steve simply walks into his chest and holds on tight. “Let’s get some clothes on you, yeah?”

“I thought you liked it when I walk around naked…” Steve mumbles quietly.

Bucky sucks in a sharp breath. “Oh sweetheart, you know I do. But we won’t be able to get anything done because I’d be too busy fuckin’ you.”

Steve hums seductively, even though he has little to no energy at the moment. “That’s alright with me…”

Growling lowly, Bucky pulls Steve close until there is virtually no space between them; his long member pressed up against Steve’s stomach. He leans down until his nose brushes against the flesh of Steve’s ear and whispers, “I know what you’re doin’, baby, and it ain’t gonna work.”

Steve smirks against Bucky’s neck. Bucky caught him in the act of trying to distract him from their inevitable responsibilities. Darn.

Turning his head, Steve presses a few small pecks onto Bucky’s cheek before stepping away, slipping out of Bucky’s grasp and walking over to the dresser. Rummaging through it, he finds one of Bucky’s shirts and slips it on as a protective cover from the world. Rubbing his eyes in an effort to clear his exhaustion, Steve yawns one last time and walks into the bathroom, Bucky following close behind. He zeros in on his toothbrush, packing it with a mountain sized clump of toothpaste before sticking it in his mouth. While brushing, Steve throws Bucky a sud-filled grin through his reflection in the mirror, causing Bucky to smile and stick his tongue out but immediately regret it when half the suds in his own mouth threaten to slip out. Steve nearly chokes on his toothpaste from laughing so hard.

It’s moments like these that Steve wants to hold onto if— _when—_ Bucky realizes that being with Steve is a mistake, and he disappears from his life forever…

_It’s all in my head_ , Steve repeats to himself when Bucky presses him up against the shower wall, covering his neck in kisses as the water splashes down upon them.

_It’s all in my head,_ Steve argues when Bucky covers Steve’s wet body with his own in the sheets, not caring if they make a mess at all; the only thought on each other’s minds is to bring their lover to a satisfying release.

_It’s all in my head,_ Steve weakly protests when Bucky and Sarah walk out of the hotel arm-in-arm, departing for their day in the city together.

_It’s all in my head…?_

___________________________________________________________

 

“So, where to first, Sarah?” Bucky asks curiously, looking down at Steve’s mother with an amused eyebrow raised. They’ve been walking around the city for about an hour now, doing nothing but talk about how they’ve been since they’ve last seen each other. Then that topic of conversation ran out, and so did the one about the weather. So a comfortable silence filled the air until they reached a small neighborhood, which Sarah seemed to be fairly familiar with.

“Right… there!” She exclaims, excitement cascading over her features instantly. Bucky turns his attention to where Sarah is pointing at a building across the street, and his eyebrows shoot up in surprise. _Barton’s Jewelers and Arts,_ the large sign over the door reads. “C’mon! Let’s go inside!”

“Sarah…” Bucky stands his ground, trying to fight her efforts. As much as he’s waging war with every impulse in his body that is telling him to run into that store and find something for Steve, this isn’t the time for it. Sarah said yesterday that there were still items to be purchased for the Ceremony, so that’s what they’re here for. Bucky isn’t going to be selfish at a time like this. This is Steve’s _mother_ . If her ceremony doesn’t go as planned, then she won’t be happy. And evidently that means _Steve_ will be unhappy. He can’t bear the thought of their unhappiness being a heavy weight on his shoulders. So he’s not going to be selfish; he’s going to help Sarah finish her shopping, go back with her to the hotel, spend the rest of the trip with Steve and… oh… hopefully find the right time to come back to this jewelry store without Steve knowing…? “We can’t.”

“We can and we _will,_ James.” She tugs at his arm again, but he’s not budging on this topic.

“Sarah, we need to go shopping for things for _your_ ceremony. There’s no time for—” He gets cut off by Sarah’s unexpected laughter. She walks up to him and gently pats his cheek, a smile gracing her aging features.

“Dear, I purchased those items far in advance. Have you ever known me to wait until the last minute?” At the sight of Bucky’s eyebrows furrowing in confusion, she elaborates further. “I said that so Steven wouldn’t become suspicious. We’re here to find you a ring, James.”

All at once, it makes sense. Of _course_ , why hadn’t Bucky realized it? The Rogers’ _always_ plan ahead, _always_ prepare for events ahead of time, that way they can relax before hand and release the stress. That’s why Steve look so confused last night after dinner, because he got the habit of planning ahead from his mother.

“Wait so… wait…” Bucky looks between the jewelry store and Sarah several times, before setting his eyes back on the sign. “So you’re saying… that this was your plan all along? Since I told you I wanted to propose?”

Sarah nods.

Bucky takes a deep breath, shoving his hands in his pockets. This is it. This is real and this is happening right now. Part of him is nervous at the thought that Steve could possibly say no, because he knows that there is most likely someone out there who is better fit to love Steve. But the thing is, Bucky _is_ selfish; Steve is _his_ . He can’t see Steve in another man’s arms, the thought alone makes him want to punch a goddamned wall. After all that they’ve been through, Steve is his and his alone, just like Bucky belongs to _only_ Steve. No one else could ever come between them.

“Are you sure you don’t have any more shopping to do?” Once again, Sarah nods, the smile on her face growing wider as Bucky’s resolve falls. With a final, relieved sigh, Bucky squares his shoulders and holds out his hand for Sarah to take. “Let’s go get Steve a ring.”

Sarah, no matter how old she gets, always explicitly shows her excitement. Just as Steve does when he’s excited about something, Sarah squeals happily and takes his hand, waiting for a car to pass before tugging Bucky across the street. A tiny bell rings when he opens the door for Sarah, and he follows her inside the quaint shoppe. It’s cozy, but not too small. Brown paneling paints the walls on all sides, except for the large windows at the entrance. To the right of the door is a long case of all types of jewelry imaginable, everything from watches, necklaces, rings, and a few more that Bucky can’t quite name.

In the middle are rows of shelves packed with small trinkets, bursting with color. To the left is another counter, but instead of jewelry on display, handmade pots and vases take the spotlight. Farther down the line are stacks of empty canvases, waiting to be painted on and brought to life. Buckets of unused paint are piled up in the corner next to an easel, where a lone canvas awaits patiently. _Steve would love it here_ , Bucky thinks. The only thing Steve _wouldn’t_ love is the embarrassingly strong smell of cologne in the store. It’s like someone dropped a bomb filled with cologne on the store, that’s how strong it is.

“Clint? Clint are you here?” Sarah calls out, separating herself from Bucky and wandering around the shoppe. Bucky doesn’t pay too much attention, deciding instead to look at the sketchbooks and paint sets for sale. Steve’s already filled up the two Bucky had gotten him for his birthday this year, and it’s only November. Picking one up, he examines the binding and the quality of the paper, trying to determine whether or not his baby boy will like it. The paper seems like it will do nicely, and the binding isn’t very flashy. Even better, all the sketchbooks have one letter of the alphabet on the cover, in an effort to make them personalized. Setting the one in his hand back on the shelf, Bucky crouches down and twiddles his fingers over the small labels. _P, Q, R, S, T— S. Found it. Bingo._

“Well I’d be damned, Bucky Barnes?” A voice says suddenly, causing Bucky to look up. A huge grin breaks out on Bucky’s face and he stands up, placing the sketchbook back on the shelf. He _knew_ the name of this shoppe sounded familiar.

“Jesus Christ,” Bucky pulls Clint into a hug, patting his back. “Man, it’s good to see you. How’ve you been?”

“Pretty good. Life’s been good, I’ve been keepin’ busy.” Clint responds as they pull apart. Bucky hasn’t seen Clint since _high school_ , it’s been far too long. “I hear yer plannin’ on gettin’ hitched to Steve, huh?”

Bucky grins, nodding his head excitedly. Clint smiles, clapping Bucky on the shoulder and leading him to the Jewelry side of the store. Leaving Bucky on the customer’s side, Clint walks around the counter and stands directly in front of Bucky, placing his palms on the corner of the glass.

“So, what kind of style are we looking for?”

“Uhh… something kinda simple? Nothing overly large or anything like that.”

“You have a colour preference?”

When Bucky simply shakes his head, Clint hums to himself and looks down at the case. Bucky watches as he slowly walks down the line of jewelry, coming to a stop by a case near the back. “Over here, Barnes.”

Bucky eagerly follows, looking into the new glass case filled with rings. There are an assortment of sizes and styles, some with billions of diamonds, and some with only a few. Bending down, he looks at the bands with a scrutinizing eye. It takes him awhile, but he finally finds one that catches his eye.

“Can I take a look at that one?” Bucky asks, standing up tall. Clint nods and pulls a key from the ring on his belt, unlocking the case and locating the ring Bucky had picked. When the box is placed in his hand, Bucky has a better view of this ring and what it has to offer. He waits until Clint says it’s alright for him to take it out before he pries the band out of the velvet casing. The ring is a vibrant silver, five diamonds delicately placed on the top. It’s absolutely stunning, and it would most certainly look dazzling on Steve’s finger. The only problem? It’s quite too big; it could probably fit on _Bucky_. Steve has thin, delicate artist fingers. Perfect looking hands if you’d ask Bucky. But a ring of this size would fall off the second Steve were to put his hand down, and Bucky can’t have that happen.

He gently places the ring back into the box and hands it to Clint. “It’s absolutely gorgeous.”

“But…? I can hear the ‘but’ somewhere in there.”

“It’s too big…” Bucky mumbles apologetically. He doesn’t want to sound ungrateful or rude, but the ring simply isn’t the right size. Yet, when he tries to look for another ring as stunning as this one, Clint locks up the case door and says, “I’ll be right back,” before heading into the backroom. Bucky waits for a few seconds, standing there and doing nothing, probably looking like an idiot to the outside world. When Clint doesn’t come back after a few minutes, Bucky sighs and looks back into the case. _There has to be something here, something perfect._

“Any luck?”

Bucky turns at the sound of Sarah’s voice approaching, smiling at Steve’s mother when she comes to stand beside him. “Well… kinda. I found one that I liked, it’s too big though.”

She nods in understanding, patting the back of his hand reassuringly before letting go. The tiny gesture gives Bucky some hope, though not a lot. What if he doesn’t find a ring good enough for Steve? Is there even a ring on this planet that is worthy to rest on Steve’s finger? He doesn’t know. Sarah, oblivious to his panic, leans over the counter and looks into the case with Bucky, her eyes scanning the rings. Bucky remembers telling her a little about what he was looking for during the car ride to Boston, but he doesn’t know if she’ll have better luck at finding a ring that he is at the moment.

“What about that one?” She questions, resting her finger on the glass. Bucky tilts his head forward to look out of curiosity. The ring that Sarah is pointing to is nothing short of remarkable. There are a line of diamonds wrapped around the entirety of the ring, the lights in the store hitting them with such precision that it looks like they’re glowing. A dark grey outline borders the edge of the band, and when he imagines what it would look like on Steve’s finger, his face nearly splits at the size of his grin.

“So,” Clint pops back into the store, this time with two boxes in his hands. “I checked around back, and I do have this ring in a smaller size.”

Shit. Now which ring is he going to choose? Sarah seems to sense his dilemma and laughs quietly to herself. “T-that’s great. Can I see it?”

Clint stares at Bucky carefully, narrowing his eyes before smirking. “You found another one that you like, didn’t ya?”

“Uhh…” Bucky stammers, feeling positively guilty that Clint went through all the trouble to find him that ring in a smaller size and now he’s got his eyes set on another one. He feels like an idiot.

“Dude, I’m not mad.” Clint interjects, seeing the guilt written on Bucky’s face. “I’m here to _help_ you find the perfect ring, I _don’t_ care how many times I have to go into the back to find you the right size. It’s my _job_.” Clint pats his name-tag with the ring box to emphasize his point.

Bucky rolls his eyes and sends Clint an amused smile, moving his hand to point at the new ring Sarah had pointed out. Even though it’s policy to put a ring back when taking out another, Clint leaves the smaller version of Bucky’s first choice on the counter and reaches into the case to pull out Bucky’s second choice. He slides both the first and second choice to Bucky, allowing him the option of comparing the two bands.

“I don’t know which one to pick.” Bucky says honestly, looking first at Clint, then at Sarah. Sarah admits that both rings are ‘absolutely exquisite’ and that Steve would love either one. But Bucky just doesn’t know which one to choose. They are both around the same price, so money isn’t really an issue.

“Can I see that one?” Sarah speaks up suddenly, making Bucky gawk at her. Is she _serious_? Bucky can barely decide between these two rings; adding a third one to the mix doesn’t seem like a valid plan.

“Sarah, I can’t even decide between these two. I can’t look at another one.” _I’m going to look at another one and get completely attached to all three of these rings and it’ll be way harder to decide. Stop it._

“Trust me,” She conveys before looking at Clint once more. “That one please.”

“You’ve got it, Mrs. Rogers.” _Suck up_ , Bucky thinks, but he resigns in on himself. Unable to stop Clint from grabbing another ring from the case, Bucky simply watches as Clint’s fingers dance over the boxes, taunting Bucky shamelessly. He picks up a ring next to the one Sarah had asked for by honest mistake, but when he moves to put it back, Bucky stops him.

“Wait, no. Wait. Can I see that one?”

Without hesitation, Clint pulls it from the case and hands places it into Bucky’s welcoming hands. This ring is way simpler than his previous choices, there’s not even a diamond on it. That fact throws Bucky off just a little bit, but what he’s really drawn to are the words carved into the inside of the band. _I love you_ , it reads, in a soft golden font. Now Bucky is truly fucked.

“I’m going to ask you a really dumb question, but would you mind holding these three off the shelves for a few days? I need some time to think about them.” As much as Bucky wants to buy a ring as soon as possible, he can’t make that major of a decision at this time. He needs to think about this long and hard before coming to a conclusion.

“Yeah, I think I can manage that.” Bucky reaches forward to give Clint a firm, thankful handshake. He really appreciates that Clint is willing to hold his own merchandise on hold for Bucky, it truly means a lot.

“Thanks Clint, I owe you one.”

“Beers with you and Steve next time I’m in New York?” Clint asks, but it comes out as more of a statement than a question. Bucky grins happily.

“That sounds great.”

___________________________________________________________

 

Bucky trudges to the elevator, tired and exhausted from a long day shopping in Boston. Joseph picked up Sarah after he went fishing with Steve, taking her to an early dinner, so he had called it a day and decided to head back to the hotel. Steve’s new sketchbook is clutched tightly in his hand, and he’s excited to give it to him once he reaches their room. The theme music in the elevator fills the silence that wraps around Bucky like a blanket. He’s been going over all three ring options in his mind since the second he stepped out of Clint’s shoppe, and he still finds himself at a crossroads. All three are, no doubt, beautiful pieces of jewelry that would look amazing resting on Steve’s finger. His gut tells him to go for the first one, his mind tells him to go for the second one, but his heart tells him to go for the third one. It’s obvious that purchasing all three is out of the question, but trying to figure out which one to single out has proven to be a harder task than he had originally thought. Shaking his head, Bucky steps out of the elevator and onto their floor. He can think about this later, he’s too tired to make a decision at this point. All he wants right now is to get into his room and be with Steve.

Bucky reaches into his pocket and pulls out his room key, getting a full whiff of cologne from Clint’s store. _Great, this is going to be here for awhile._ Bucky carefully and gently opens the door incase Steve might be asleep, raising his hand to suppress a yawn himself. But as soon as the door is opened just a crack, he knows for sure that Steve isn’t asleep, not at all. The soft sounds of Steve’s moans float through the air as Bucky takes a step inside the room, shutting the door softly behind him before toeing off his socks and shoes. He places the sketchbook down delicately on a table near the door, careful not to make a sound.

The first thing that comes to mind is that Steve is having sex with someone else, someone better than him. But that thought quickly obliterates when Bucky hears _his_ name falling from Steve’s lips. _Thank God_ , he thinks, relieved. And as far as he knows, Steve has no idea that he’s back yet, so he takes the chance to stop and listen for a little bit. Maybe it’s a little perverted, but Bucky has never had the privilege of experiencing Steve masturbate before, and _holy fuck_ , it’s the hottest thing he’s ever heard. He can hear the lube gliding up and down Steve’s perfect cock; he can hear Steve’s tiny whimpers and moans; he can hear the sheets sliding beneath his baby boy’s body and he wants nothing more than to be in that bed with Steve right now.

Bucky’s own cock is beginning to wake up, clearly alerted by the heavy sounds Steve is managing to produce. It swells so large to the point where Bucky actually has to take off his pants because the pressure is too much. While he’s at it, he slides his boxers and cologne-absorbed shirt off his body and gently places the articles of clothing on the ground. Now, stark naked, Bucky walks around the corner and towards the bed where Steve is a moaning and whimpering mess. He nearly faints at the sight of his baby boy on the bed, barely managing to stand up straight. Steve looks hotter than sin, and that’s not only half of it. His hair is sticking up in all directions, sweaty and matted to his forehead, but it looks too damn sexy for Bucky to care. He’s wearing one of Bucky’s red shirts, even though it’s not doing a very good job a covering anything; it’s pushed up past Steve’s bellybutton, about one inch below his ribcage. And the fucking _lace._ Holy hell, Steve wasn’t kidding when he said he brought more than one pair. It’s a dark blue pair of panties that leave nothing to the imagination at all. They’re stretched over Steve’s thighs, a beautiful contrast to his pale, soft skin.

Steve’s eyes are squeezed shut, so he’s not aware of how much staring Bucky’s doing, or even that Bucky is _here._ That needs to be fixed.

Steve moans louder, pumping into his fist faster and faster as more precum continues to leak from the tip. “Ah f-fuck, Bucky. _Bucky._ ”

Bucky decides that this is prime time to make his presence known. “I’m here, Stevie.”

Steve’s eyes fly open in surprise and shock, and he throws his fists at Bucky on instinct. It’s a habit that Steve picked up after Bucky used to scare him everyday after class back in high school by jumping out from around the corner. Bucky chuckles, catching Steve’s hands before they can do any damage and he slowly crawls onto the bed. Steve’s staring at him with wide eyes and his breathing is hard and rapid. But Bucky can see the arousal flooding back into Steve’s eyes when he presses tiny kisses up Steve’s thigh, reaching up to peal the lace off of Steve’s legs and tossing it to the side.

“B-Bucky?” Steve stammers, his hands tentatively running up Bucky’s sides. “Y-you’re here? But I thought—”

Bucky leans down and covers Steve’s mouth with his own, using his hand to lovingly tilt Steve’s chin closer. It doesn’t take much coaxing to get Steve to open up to him. Actually it doesn’t take any coaxing at all; Steve throws his arms around Bucky’s shoulders and kisses him harder, as if he’s desperate for it. Rolling over onto his back, Bucky grabs a handful of Steve’s ass and squeezes, causing Steve to moan against his lips.

“I-I thought,” Steve starts, but cuts himself off to grab at Bucky’s face and kiss him again. “I thought you weren’t comin’ back.”

Bucky will eventually learn what Steve really meant by that statement, but at this point in time, he is oblivious to the war raging in Steve’s mind. Completely unaware to the internal peril and panic Steve was feeling while fishing with his father; the only thing he could think about being Bucky and his non-existent ‘mystery man’.

“I only went shopping, sweetheart,” Bucky reminds him, using the leverage on Steve’s hips to grind their cocks together. “Only shopping.”

“Y-yeah but—”

“No ‘buts’, baby.” Bucky runs his hands across the miles of smooth skin that lies atop him. There’s nothing on this planet that can separate Bucky from Steve, not if he can help it. Steve is the only one that can keep him grounded; the only one who he feels comfortable being himself around; the only one whom he loves with his entire _soul_. And Steve thought that he wasn’t coming back from going shopping?

“I’m never leaving you, baby boy.” Bucky mumbles after flipping Steve onto his back, covering Steve’s tiny body with his own. Steve is trembling, trying to hold every part of Bucky all at once and whimpering in distress when he can’t. Bucky doesn’t understand why Steve has been acting different since they arrived in Boston yesterday, but it’s starting to worry him. Steve, he’s noticed, has become extra cuddly and ‘huggable’. Not that Bucky minds, he’d gladly attend to all of Steve’s needs. It’s just raised some red flags, so he’s worried if Steve is doing alright. Was is something he did? Was it something he said? Did he forget to do something? What did Bucky fuck up this time?

Steve whimpers again quietly, daunting his hips upwards into Bucky’s. The message is clear, Steve needs this, and Bucky realizes that he does too. It’s as if the world has been put in fast-motion; Bucky opens Steve up gently, relishing in the sounds his baby makes; Steve gasps loudly and claws down his muscled back when Bucky fills him up with his aching member; Bucky pounds into Steve with hard, calculated thrusts, which hit Steve’s prostate with unbelievable accuracy; Steve cries out _‘Daddy!’_ when they both come at the same time, his back arching violently into Bucky’s chest. Their breathing is ragged and shaky, the both of them dead-tired from exhaustion. In all the times that they’ve had sex, it’s never seemed to pass by this quickly. It was desperate, hard, and most of all, they both needed it.

Steve mewls lowly when Bucky moves to pull out, biting his lip in pleasure. Bucky soothes him with calm, loving words, whispering into Steve’s ear as he reaches for the shirt that Steve was wearing earlier.

“You did so well, Stevie. You were perfect, baby.” Bucky coddles Steve, gently wiping the release from both their chests. “You’re wonderful, kitten.”

Bucky tosses the shirt away, opting to deal with it later and wholly enjoy Steve’s company now. Steve tiredly reaches over and grabs the television remote, handing it to Bucky before cuddling into his side, resting his head on Bucky’s shoulder. Flipping on the TV, Bucky randomly selects a channel and blindly sets the remote on the bedside table.

“You’re so beautiful, Stevie.” Bucky blindly comments, rubbing his hand down Steve’s back as the blond begins to fall asleep.

“No ‘m not.” Steve grumbles, snuggling into Bucky’s neck to find comfort.

Bucky sighs sadly. _Is Steve ever going to take a compliment?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I have a huge favour to ask all of my lovely readers. I decided to try something a little different with this series, as a test for something I have planned for in the future. I'm going to let you all decide what ring Bucky will get! How this is going to work is quite simple: If you are to leave a comment, at the top or bottom of it, write "Ring #(whatever number you choose)". 
> 
> I'll tally it up at the very end and add it to the next story in this series. You can vote once per chapter (past chapters included if you want), and you can vote in all the chapters. I'll count those as valid too! Anyway, I thought it would be neat to interact with you guys, so I can't wait to see what y'all come up with! :)
> 
> For Reference
> 
> Ring One  
> 
> 
>  
> 
> Ring Two  
> 
> 
>  
> 
> Ring Three  
> 
> 
>  
> 
> Hope you enjoyed this chappie! (sorry this image is so large btw^^)


	4. Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I’m askin’… Bucky, are you really happy with me?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! It's been awhile... :P
> 
> Anywho, I just wanted to give a big thank you to everyone who is sticking with me on this story, as well as the other series I still have pending... *side eyes my Disneyland series*
> 
> I received a question about a week or so ago, asking if I had a playlist for this story. Well, I do now! You can listen to it [here](https://open.spotify.com/user/jaybird6232/playlist/1yR9CK7nT9bYk4AfA3spGW), if you would like. Songs will be added as the story continues to flow, and if you have any suggestions, feel free to let me know!❤︎
> 
> Just a quick note. This is not a happy chapter. Prepare for heartbreak, my lovelies...
> 
> [any mistakes are my own. if you catch some, please let me know! I typed this up _very_ quick...]

The bed is empty by the time Steve awakes, drowsy and uncoordinated in his sleepy state. He doesn’t realize that he’s alone until he pats around the mattress looking for Bucky (the furnace that he just so happens to be dating) to find that Bucky’s side of the mattress is cold. So he’s been gone for awhile… They don’t have anything to do today as far as Steve knows, nothing other than cuddle in bed and watch whatever they want on television. It doesn’t explain why Bucky isn’t here, and it becomes clear that he didn’t leave a note behind to tell Steve where he was going either. Slowly sitting up in bed, Steve rubs the sleep from his eyes with a yawn. He waits a few more seconds, hoping that Bucky will walk through the door and relieve Steve of his worrying, but unfortunately that’s not the case.

Shooting a glance at the alarm clock that rests on the bedside table, Steve furrows his brows in confusion when he reads the time. _6:45 am._ If the clock isn’t lying to him, then where the hell is Bucky at _this_ time in the morning? By now, this far into their relationship, he knows all too well that Bucky despises waking up early, the latter always smashing the snooze button when his alarm goes off for work, or trying to find ways to keep Steve from abandoning the bed when Steve himself has to leave for the day. Bucky is never up early, so why has that habit suddenly transposed?

_Maybe he’s getting food in town,_ Steve thinks at first, but he takes back that thought almost immediately. There’s food at the _hotel_ , literally a few floors below Steve’s current location. So food obviously isn’t the reason. So he tries again. In an effort to figure out another reason for Bucky’s absence, Steve wracks his brain for a few solid moments, replaying every conversation they’ve had in the last twenty-four hours. Granted, he can’t remember everything word for word, but Steve knows he would remember Bucky making drama about having to wake up early. That’s when he digests an uneasy realization: Bucky never complained. Bucky never made drama about an early-morning wake-up. Bucky never said anything about it at all.

Steve swallows nervously, carefully peeling the sheets off his naked body as he steps out of bed, regretting his decision instantly and plopping back down on the mattress. Even with a carpeted floor and heater blasting to eighty degrees, it’s fucking _cold_ . November in Boston is never forgiving, he knows that for a fact, but it doesn’t change his wish of wanting it to be a little bit warmer. The suitcases, full of warm, comforting clothing (a.k.a. Bucky’s sweaters) seem so far away, and Steve is need of a cover _now_ . That’s when he spots Bucky’s shirt from yesterday, sitting on the edge of the bed, along with Bucky’s pants and socks too. _Geez Barnes, can’t even put away your own shit_ , Steve rolls his eyes with exaggerated annoyance. But in a sense, he’s glad Bucky didn’t put them away, because now he doesn’t have to move very far to get warm. Crawling happily to the end of the bed, Steve gathers the shirt in his hands and quickly slips it on, sighing happily at the newly warm feeling.

He gets up from the bed however, because he knows that only wearing a shirt isn’t going to be enough to keep him warm, and the last thing Steve needs is to be sick for the ceremony in a few days. Wandering over to the suitcases, Steve drops down until he’s sitting back on his ankles and unzips a large bag. Digging through it takes longer than he had originally expected, but his tired efforts are rewarded with a pair of sweatpants and one of Bucky’s red hoodie’s that he claimed as his own long ago. With a smile, Steve closes up the bag and moves to stand up. That’s when he stops, freezing in place and taking in a deep breath.

What the _fuck_ is that _smell?_ Steve mindlessly tosses his newly acquired garments onto the bed and raises to his full height, utterly distracted by his curiosity. The smell seems to be coming from everywhere and nowhere all at once. It doesn’t take him long to understand that what he’s smelling is _cologne_ , and a very strong cologne at that. A perfect recipe for a headache. Steve trudges over to the bathroom, opening the door and stepping inside. He examines the countertop, hunting without results for a new bottle of cologne that Bucky might’ve picked up. The smell is in here too, Steve realizes, but walks out of the bathroom anyways after a few moments. The main area of the hotel room is practically soaked in the disgustingly overwhelming smell, and if he doesn’t find the source soon, Steve better prepare for an ungodly headache.

Doing a thorough search of the room, Steve comes up empty handed and defeated, ready to succumb to the torture of a headache. Steve rakes his hand through his hair out of nervous habit, and that’s when he smells it again, only this time it’s much stronger. Quizzically, Steve brings his hand to his nose. The smell is on _him._ But how? He didn’t touch anything, besides the sheets, the suitcase, and… and Bucky’s shirt. _No. No, it can’t be._ With shaky hands, Steve grips the neckline of the shirt, bringing it to his nose and inhaling deeply. _Yes, it can be. Because it is._

Steve rips the shirt off his body with a speed he didn’t even know he possessed, throwing it as hard as he can into the other corner of the room. Even with the shirt so far away, Steve shuffles backwards to create a larger distance. He ends up tripping over his own feet, but that doesn’t stop him from scooting his naked body away until he hits the wall. Steve is breathing rapidly, his vision swimming and becoming blurry with every shaking gasp. _No. No no no, stop it. Stop it. It’s not true. It’s not true._

But the evidence is right there— right _fucking_ there— a lifeless lump of cloth mocking him from the floor. Hell, he was _wearing_ the damn thing and didn’t even notice it until it was too late. Bucky, of all people, knows that strong smells can give Steve a major headache. That’s why they don’t use candles at home unless the scent is faint and nearly unnoticeable. That’s also why Bucky doesn’t wear heavy cologne, mostly because of Steve, but also because Bucky himself isn’t very fond of it either. That can only mean one thing, and Steve doesn’t even want to think about it.

_It’s not true, Bucky wouldn’t do this. It’s_ **_not_ ** _true,_ Steve tries to reason with himself, grabbing his head in both hands and subtly rocking back and forth. _He loves me, it’s not true. He loves me, it’s not true. Fuck, stop it, it’s not true_ . Steve tries to make himself deny what his mind is telling him to believe as he claws at his hair, gripping it tightly as tears begin to pool in his eyes. _It’s not true, it can’t be true. Bucky promised he loved me, he_ **_promised_ ** _. Said I was the only one… he said I was the only one he would ever love… he promised…_

But Steve’s anxiety and nervousness tell him a different, more tragic tale. Bucky found someone else, the smell from his boyfriend’s shirt being a clear sign. He found someone better. Someone more qualified to deserve Bucky’s love, Bucky’s heart, Bucky’s _soul._ Everything that Steve thought was his and his _alone_ . It’s not anymore. Maybe it never was. _It’s… no. Please. Please no. God this isn’t real,_ **_please_ ** _tell me it’s not real. Please…_

It takes Steve a few minutes to get up from the floor, his mental state too shaken up to fully comprehend the drastic severity of his situation. His eyes are blank, soft; swimming with unshed tears as he tries to stand, holding onto the wall for support. Numb, Steve makes his way to the bed, grabbing his sweatpants and carefully pulling them on, his eyes dull and faded. Shuffling to his suitcase in a daze, he reaches inside and pulls out one of his own shirts, too haunted by the fabric still lying on the ground to even pick it up, let alone regard its existence.

Steve turns around after closing his bag, and he comes face to face with the red hoodie he had pulled out earlier. His weak, little heart throbs painfully in his chest as he makes his way to his prized possession, picking it up and crawling into bed before pulling the thick covers over himself. Right as his head hits the pillow, Steve’s reservoir of tears explodes. He clutches the hoodie in a death grip, hugging it close to his chest and cuddling it like it will disappear from the world if he lets go or loosens his grip in the slightest way. Tears rapidly flow down his cheeks, loud sobs wracking his tiny frame. Steve burrows his head into the front of the hoodie, the soft, comforting material soaking up his tears and sorrow. Taking a shuddering breath, Steve sticks his nose deeper into the fabric, trying with all his might to get closer to it even though there is no more space left in between. It smells like _Bucky_ . It smells like _home._ It smells like comfort and warmth and like the things that don’t even _have_ smells associated to them, such as joy and love and safety; fuck, it just smells _right_.

He whimpers grievously, opening his red-rimmed eyes to look at the hoodie. Something short of a whine slips out of Steve as he moves his hand to gently pet at the fabric, trying to ground himself with all the happy memories that included this cozy little number. Bucky had gotten it as a prize after running the annual _‘Stark 5k’_ back in Spring of this year, along with a water bottle and a keychain; the pretty typical stuff. He whimpers sadly as he thinks back to that day… Steve had been waiting for Bucky at the finish line, cheering loudly from the sidelines as his boyfriend made his way down the pavement, surrounded by fellow runners. Bucky finished in second place, and he was absolutely beat. But that didn’t seem to stop him from breaking out into a smile and weakly jogging to the barrier, where Steve was happily waiting on the other side. Despite how sweaty and hot Bucky was, Steve didn’t think twice when he threw his arms around Bucky’s shoulders and pulled him into a kiss.

“You did so good,” Steve mumbled against Bucky’s lips, and earned a chuckle in return, “Thanks, sweetheart.” After that, Steve was snagging that hoodie any chance he got. Whether it was right after a shower or when he was on his way out the door, Steve took it with him. It reminded him of Bucky, and it always made him feel safe and protected when he wore it.

But now, all it does is remind him of how happy they used to be. What did he do to make Bucky go out and search for someone new? Is there something wrong with Steve? All he wishes now is that Bucky was _here_ , wearing the jacket currently bundled up in Steve’s arms, and telling him that everything is going to be okay. Whispering sweet nothings into his ear until he could completely wipe Steve’s mind of any lingering doubt. Holding him close and keeping him warm. Safe. Loved. _Wanted._

“You promised,” Steve whines over another sob, squeezing his eyes shut in pain. “You promised me…”

___________________________________________________________

 

Bucky walks down the street with a skip in his step, the cold morning air doing nothing to freeze over his excitement. He’s heading back to Clint’s shoppe, hoping that spending some more time examining the rings will give him a better idea of which one he wants to ultimately choose for his beloved. His Stevie. His everything. The ring needs to be as perfect as Steve, yet he doubts he can find jewelry to perfectly suit the angel he left sleeping in their hotelroom.

The tiny bell rings when he opens the door, and he sends Clint a large smile when he sees the other man polishing jewelry behind the counter.

“Well, good morning Bucky.”

“Mornin’,” Bucky replies, closing the door behind him. “Tell me if I’m overstepping the boundary, but why the hell are you open at five thirty on a _Monday?_ ”

Clint lets out a chuckle, putting down his rag and the watch he just finished polishing to brush his hands off. “Well technically I’m not open right now, the shoppe opens at seven.” Bucky flushes in embarrassment, realizing his mistake, which makes Clint chortle out an excuse of a snort, “You’re fine, Buck. It’s only me and Johnny right now, Kate comes in later today.”

“Johnny?” Bucky questions, unfamiliar with the name. He knows Kate all too well, given the fact that she’s Clint’s younger, sassier, smarter (sorry Clint) sister, and he practically grew up with her tailing his friend group. But Johnny? The name doesn’t ring a bell in Bucky’s mind, and even if it were to, he would pay no mind to it. The only important person on his mind is his Stevie, now and forever.

Clint’s face drops, surprise taking over his features in the form of a raised eyebrow. “Uh, it’s… Johnny? Steve’s older—”

“Oh no, I hear my name. What did I mess up this time, Barton?” A voice calls loudly from the back of the shoppe, deep and smooth. Bucky turns around to the sound of footsteps approaching, his face paling a rich shade of white when he recognizes the man behind the voice. Johnny Storm, also known as Steve’s asshole older cousin, who is also known as… Bucky’s ex-boyfriend from high school.

Yeah… Not quite Bucky’s proudest life choice, he knows this. But the younger him was careless and irrational, not able to properly think through his actions and see the effect they evidently had on Steve. When Johnny had first asked Bucky out, Steve was standing right beside him as they walked home from school. Bucky had looked to Steve for a sign of disapproval, hoping that the younger man would step in and say _anything_ to get him out of it, but Steve had chosen that moment to busy himself with his iPod, shoving his earbuds in and walking past them without another word. Not wanting to seem like a mean nor terrible person, Bucky reluctantly agreed to a simple movie date.

One date became two, and two dates became ten, and so on and so forth. Bucky will admit that he had good times while dating Johnny, those times being every single second he was _away_ from Johnny. This new and sudden relationship had affected Steve and Bucky’s friendship to the point where Bucky had to literally beg Steve to talk to him, to message him, to do _anything_ with him. He hated it with every fibre of his being.

_“Shouldn’t you be out with Johnny?” Steve questions, dropping his backpack to the floor and climbing onto his bed, sitting crisscross and reaching for the television remote. Bucky swallows nervously, shutting the door of Steve’s bedroom and gently setting his bag off to the side near the wall, retrieving Steve’s as well and placing it beside his. Looking up again, Bucky notices that all the drawings that Steve had put up on the walls are… gone. Like they had never existed before. Steve takes pride in his art, cherishing it and putting it up on his wall for the both of them to admire. The only time Steve had taken them down was during freshman year, when he was so severely depressed that nearly everything brought on a negative thought._

_“But I wanna hang out with you, punk.” Bucky jokes, trying to lighten the eerie mood by getting Steve to smile a little bit, but the latter doesn’t even twitch his lip or acknowledge that he said anything at all in the first place. Bucky stands there idly, wringing his hands together, unsure of what to do. It feels like he hasn’t spoken to Steve in weeks, his friend always turning the other way when they saw each other in the hall and ignoring his texts to invite him to hang out. Steve looks like he hasn’t had a proper night’s sleep in days, the dark circles being a clear sign._

_He knows that his “relationship” with Johnny is affecting Steve, given the fact that Bucky is dating Steve’s fucking cousin, however he wasn’t aware of how bad it was_ **_hurting_ ** _Steve. The thing is, he doesn’t particularly enjoy Johnny’s company, always wishing that he was doing something fun with Steve than hanging out with his idiot cousin. What he hasn’t told Steve, though, is that he broke up with Johnny earlier today, unable to fake his feelings anymore. Johnny hadn’t been too happy, cursing Bucky out and walking away with a defiant knot in his shoulders. Bucky could honestly care less about Johnny, because Steve is the one he wants, for now and forever._

_“Hey,” Bucky starts, walking towards the bed. “Are you busy tomorrow after school, ‘cause I wanted to know if you wanted—?”_

_“You should go,” Steve says quietly, his voice coming out as a low mumble. Bucky feels like he’s just been slapped across the face, stabbed in the chest with a dagger made of Steve’s words._

_“I… what?”_

_“You…” Steve looks down into his lap, his head hanging sadly. “You should go… before I get an angry text from Johnny asking where you are…”_

_Bucky’s eyebrows furrow in irritation. Johnny has no right to ever ask that of Steve, and part of him wonders what else Johnny had text him about… Bucky slowly strides over, carefully taking a seat on the bed and staring at the wall ahead of him. “I’m not going anywhere, Stevie.”_

_Steve lets out a small noise, a mixture of a self-pitying chuckle and a snort of indignance, along with a quiet whine. “Doesn’t matter,” Steve sniffs, tilting his head back up to stare at the wall. Bucky takes the opportunity to turn and look at his friend, his heart twisting inside his chest sharply when he sees a single tear run down Steve’s pale cheeks. “You’re gonna leave anyways… so it don’t matter.”_

_“Oh, Steve…”_

_Steve closes his eyes, dropping his shoulders and closing in on himself. “You’ve been gone, Buck… I haven’t… I haven’t gotten to spend any time with you at all in nearly three weeks… I miss your stupid face, you punk.”_

_“I tried reachin’ out to ya, Stevie. But you never… you never replied. An’ ya went around ignorin’ me too…”_

_Steve nods. “Johnny didn’t like the idea of me being around, ‘said I’d steal ya away from him. But I just… I…” Steve opens his eyes and turns his head, giving Bucky a front row seat to his beautiful, yet pain ridden face. “I miss you Buck, I really fuckin’ miss you.”_

_Bucky doesn’t allow Steve to say anymore, instead pulling the smaller man into his lap and into a bone-crushing hug. Steve whimpers against his shoulder, holding on just as tight as tiny sobs shake his little body. “It’s been so long Buck, so goddamned long…”_

_“I know, Stevie,” Bucky murmurs, tears of his own slipping past his closed eyes. He misses this, he misses Steve. He misses his best friend, the love of his life, the light in his darkness, so much so that he hasn’t realized how empty his soul was when Steve wasn’t around until this very moment. Bucky clutches Steve tight to his chest, rocking his friend back and forth in an effort to heal them both. “God I miss you too, Stevie.”_

_Bucky does not hesitate when he moves to lie down on Steve’s comfy bed, bringing Steve with him. He settles Steve into his side, still pulling him closer even though there isn’t a speck of free space between them. Steve whimpers painfully against his chest, clutching Bucky’s shirt like a lifeline. “Please don’t leave… I can’t… I just–”_

_“I’m not going anywhere, Stevie.”_

And he didn’t. He stayed by Steve’s side until Steve fell asleep pressed up against him, sniffling quietly in his shaky slumber. God, he was extremely upset with himself for treating Steve the way he did. How Steve still loves him and wants him, Bucky isn’t sure; he has put Steve through so much pain and hurt that he would have expected a simple dismissal from his friend. But he got kindness, love, and generosity instead from his best friend, and now his soulmate. Nothing will ever get in between them, not if Bucky has something to do about it.

Johnny’s steps falter when he lays his eyes on Bucky, his eyebrows raising curiously as he pulls a smile. “Uh, Bucky? That you?”

“Yeah, hi Johnny.” Bucky answers, not moving from his position by the counter. He doesn’t want to establish any type of interaction between himself and Johnny, that’s the last thing he needs at a time like this. Johnny seems to take note of Bucky’s attitude, shoving his hands in his pockets and staying in his place, “It’s… it’s good to see you. You, uh, you look great.”

One thing Bucky notices, besides the ability to not take a hint, the string of tattoos and piercings littering every visible part of Johnny’s body, is the _smell._ The same smell that fills this entire store, it’s all coming from him. It’s far too strong for Bucky’s liking, and he can tell from the reoccuring wrinkle of Clint’s nose that he is not particularly enjoying it either.

“Storm, you mind unpacking last night’s shipment? I want them on the shelves before the shoppe opens.” Thank the Lord for Clint Barton, Bucky’s current life saver. The other man can clearly see how uncomfortable the situation had become, acting quickly to separate them. Johnny’s smile falters slightly before recovering just as quickly, shooting Bucky a quick ‘It was good to see you’ before walking back in the direction he came. Bucky lets out the breath he didn’t know he was holding in, turning to look at Clint with wide eyes.

Clint lets out a nervous chuckle, seemingly trying to distract himself with the jewelry now back in his hand again. “I didn’t know you were comin’ in this early, Barnes. I woulda warned ya.”

“He works for you,” It comes out as a statement, not at all a question. Bucky isn’t upset necessarily, yet he wishes that he never had to make contact with Johnny again. Especially after their rough break-up. Clint nods apologetically, setting down the rag once more to stare deep into Bucky’s eyes, “Yes he does. He’s a good help, and he was the only option I had at the time. I’m sorry man, I didn’t want you to find out this way.”

Bucky sighs, bracing himself on the counter and shaking his head. It’s not like it matters to him anymore, the fact that he and Johnny were once together. What bothers him is that Johnny simply reminds him of all the time he wasted in his younger days, telling himself to find someone else because Steve could never love him. Johnny reminds him of all the mistakes he made as a teenager, and it’s the worst feeling he can think of in this moment.

Yet resting under his elbows, underneath the glass, are rows of engagement rings as far as the eye can see, and he remembers what he truly came here for. While Johnny’s sudden and unexpected appearance created a disturbance in his joyful mood, thinking of Steve’s smile and his beautiful laugh brightens up his disposition just as quick. He can deal with Johnny later, right now, here is here for one reason, and one reason only. Tilting his head up and sending Clint a crooked smile, Bucky opens his mouth to speak, “Mind if I look over those rings again?”

___________________________________________________________

 

By the time Bucky returns to the hotel room, it’s nearly eight o’clock in the morning. He’s exhausted, and even though he has barely been up for a few hours, he is more than ready to crawl back into bed with Steve. What he sees when he opens the door, however, is not at all what he was expecting to come home to. Clothes are strewn across the ground in a frenzy, his suit case propped open next to the wall. Bucky quietly tiptoes to his bag and kneels down gently, carefully folding the garments with care before placing them back in their original housing. Standing up once more, he shoots a glance towards Steve and notices that he is still out like a light. _Good,_ Bucky thinks to himself, he doesn’t want Steve thinking the worst about his disappearance. In a few short minutes, Bucky is back in his cozy, fluffy pajamas, crawling into bed next to Steve.

He pulls Steve close, snuggling the smaller man tight as he buries his face into Steve’s hair. Those soft, silky strands tickle his nose, filling him with the scent of Steve’s shampoo. That soothing scent of coconut that always seems to put a smile on his face, especially when he catches it on himself throughout the day or whenever they are apart. It’s just another part of Steve that he loves with all his heart…

“Are you happy with me?” Steve’s voice comes out suddenly, shaky and broken, as if he’s been crying for hours on end without stopping. The question surprises Bucky just as much as Steve’s tone does, filled with sadness and hurt and the fear of rejection. He thought Steve was asleep when he first entered, but now knowing that he is awake throws him in a loop.

“I… what?” Bucky asks quietly, shuffling backwards a few inches and trying to turn Steve over. He’s filled with worry now, because hearing Steve in doubt and feeling heartache is the last thing he ever wants Steve to experience. Steve, thankfully, turns over without much of a struggle, yet his eyes are sealed shut and he is cuddling a large sweater to his chest in a vice grip. “Steve, what… what are you talking about?”

“I’m askin’… Bucky, are you really happy with me?”

Bucky clicks his tongue in sympathy, running both his arms around Steve and pulling him close, tucking his boyfriend’s head into his neck; Steve’s safe spot. His hand drifts up and down Steve’s back in a soothing manner, trying to ease Steve’s pain and eliminate his sniffles. “Sweetheart, that’s never something you need to worry about. You… God, you make me the happiest guy on Earth, Stevie.”

Steve nods quietly, holding the jacket in his arms even tighter. Bucky’s heart nearly breaks in two when he sees a stray tear slip past Steve’s eyes, down his supple cheeks and onto the pillows beneath them. “Okay…”

That is the last thing Steve says before he breaks down into tears, trying to hide his face from Bucky, as if he is embarrassed. Yet Bucky doesn’t let him, instead sitting up on the bed and pulling Steve into his lap, cuddling him close, unsure of what else to do. Steve’s arms wind around his shoulders, his chin tucked into his chest as he sobs into Bucky’s neck.

“Stevie,” Bucky tries, feeling his own eyes water. He doesn’t know what caused this breakdown, but he has a strong feeling that it has something to do with him. _Did I do something? Did I say something? Oh my god, what did I do? How can I fix this?_ “Stevie, baby, please tell me what’s wrong. Let me fix this; honey please, what’s the matter?”

He doesn’t get a response, only louder sobs and hands that hold onto him as if he would disappear if Steve were to let go, to let him out of his sight. Bucky is honestly so surprised by the sudden change in the atmosphere that he is having trouble formulating words to effectively comfort Steve in his saddened state. He doesn’t know what he did, or how to fix it, and he knows that if he doesn’t find out soon, this will explode into something far bigger than he can control…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry... :(
> 
> But don't forget to vote for rings!!

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you all enjoyed this! Be sure to leave a comment/kudos if you liked it! Your feedback keeps me going! :)
> 
> Come party with me on [Tumblr!](http://jaybird6232.tumblr.com/)


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